News from Peak Navigation Courses

Peak Navigation Courses,   Which is the Right Course For   Me? At Peak Navigation Courses we want you to have the best learning experience and select the right course so that you get the greatest benefit. Hopefully this Blog will answer your questions.  We run a range of stand alone courses in both traditional (map and compass) navigation and some 1:1 training to get you started with your GPS. Additionally, our Introductory Course (1st Steps to Map Reading & Navigation) can be combined with our Intermediate Course (Moving onto Moorland) to become the Silver National Navigation Award. Intoductory Course - 1st Steps to Map Reading & Navigation Prior Experience.             None required. Classroom based with 2 short walks of 1.5 hours and 2 hours. Terrain encountered.             Paths, fields and some rough pasture on easy mo...

Night Navigation Courses Being caught out whilst walking either in the dark or in the mist can be a frightening experience unless you have learnt the skills and strategies to cope with such eventualities. The Joys of Night Navigation Practice Trig Points make a good map table Of course being able to map read and navigate using a map and compass are essential skills for safe walking the hills and mountains. It is only a short step from being a competent daytime navigator to being able to cope with navigating in poor visibility.  Also, like with any skill set, it is a good idea to get out and practice occasionally to ensure that you still have the confidence to navigate in the dark or the mist. Anyway, Night Navigation is fun and certainly a good alternative to staying in and watching t.v.!! Challenging Moorland on "Big Moor" With the nights drawing in, Peak Navigation Courses have a programme of short evening courses aimed at teachin...

Learn Map Reading and Navigation in The Peak District Whether you are a seasoned walker, a complete novice or someone who has for years followed others, Peak Navigation Courses have a course for you! For the past ten years we have been delivering training from our base in The Peak District and occasionally further afield in the mountains of Snowdonia and The Lake District. 1st Steps to Map Reading and Navigation Entry Level: Most people come for the one day 1st Steps to Map Reading and Navigation Course . It doesn’t matter if you are a complete novice or have some experience, this course starts with the very basics and leaves you able to cross easy open moorland using a compass. A great day out. National Navigation Awards: Some come to us wanting to gain an award under the National Navigation Awards Scheme. We highly recommend that adults can come straight in at Silver level not needing to have gained a Bronze Award first. This is a 2 day cours...

Learn Map Reading and Navigation with Peak Navigation Courses Silva Type 4 Compass Being able to map read and navigate well is not only a means to keeping safe on your walks but is fun too!   It’s great being set free from guide books and have the ability to plan your own walks. Peak Navigation Courses run a range of courses from those suitable for absolute beginners through to “ Navigation Master Classes” aimed at providing a testing day with useful revision for those already expert. There is something for everyone! Most courses are 1 day courses, usually on a Saturday or Sunday and there is scope for progression through the courses. 1st Steps to Map Reading and Navigation Course The 1 st Steps to Map Reading and Navigation Courses is a good foundation level course that goes through the basics of map reading and how to use a compass. The day starts with a classroom session then progresses to a short walk through fields before lunch.   ...

New to walking and just starting out? Map and Compass Peak Navigation Courses run a course just for you!   “1 st Steps to Map Reading and Navigation” is a  course designed for the beginner or the person who has always left the navigation to others.   It takes you from the absolute basics and leaves you equipped to plan routes and navigate both through fields on paths and off path on easy moorland. This course can be combined with a 2 nd day to achieve the Bronze (NNAS) National Navigation Award. Map Reading Course Map and Compass Course Having the skills required to navigate using a map and compass gives you the freedom to move away from books of walks and to plan your own routes. An example of this is of Bamford Moor in the Peak District where I live. Here there are two stone circles and according to the map there are no paths leading to either of them. Peak Navigation Courses’ “Introduction to Moorland Navigation Course” will leave...

A Glorious Night Out! The weather over the past weekend was one of forecasts for heavy rain and flooding across the country. Amidst this Peak Navigation Courses still managed to run a successful night navigation course that was acclaimed as brilliant by the students attending! “Thanks for last nights night nav session. Really enjoyed it!”   Ashley Dawson Night Navigation, planning strategies The night navigation courses are really designed for people who already have good navigation skills and are able to use a map and compass to cross open moorland. What they aim to achieve is to introduce the necessary strategies to cope in poor visibility simulating what happens should the mist come down or should you get caught out after darkness. Hopefully the course will leave students confident to get out and practice for themselves (practice makes perfect!). The course we run starts at 6.30pm during the winter months and involves a practical session of around three h...

Map Reading and Navigation Courses make great Christmas Presents! Peak Navigation Courses run map reading and navigation courses throughout the year.   Our peak demand season is the months of January, February and March. This is due to a variety of reasons: New Years resolutions to get fit or get out walking; people wanting to learn navigation ahead of a walking holiday planned as their summer holiday;   and people in receipt of our courses as a Christmas present. What a great idea giving a Map Reading and Navigation Course as a Christmas present! Map Reading and Navigation Course   Here’s a list of our courses: Introduction to Map Reading Course First Steps to Map Reading and Navigation    £40 A 1 day course, which will set you up with the basics of using a map and compass over easy open moorland. An Introduction to Moorland Navigation          £40 A 1 day course, designed for people wh...

Map Reading and Navigation Courses in The Derbyshire Peak District. Dark Peak Map and Silva type 4 Compass Being able to read a map and to navigate gives you the freedom to plan your own routes and give up using books of walks.   Scouring the map finding places of interest then planning your own route is so much more rewarding than following a book! Take for example Bamford Moor in the Peak District, it has two stone circles but no path marked on the map to either of them.   If you know how to read a map you can make a fabulous circuit from Ladybower’s Heatherdene car park and visit them with stunning views over the reservoirs, Win Hill and the Derwent Valley. Peak Navigation Courses run two introductory level Map Reading and Navigation Courses that will leave you equipped for planning and undertaking such a route: 1 st Steps to Map Reading and Navigation 1st Steps to Map Reading and Navigation Course A Day courses taking you from the very bas...

Map Reading and Navigation Course I’m constantly amazed at the frequency that I’m approached on Kinder Scout by people who are lost and want directions to get back down safely.   I don’t mind this but it usually happens when I’m running a navigation course! Map Reading Course, Kinder Scout People book onto our map reading and navigation courses for a variety of reasons, many because they have been “misplaced” and want to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.   Peak Navigation Courses offer a range of courses from absolute beginner to “master classes” designed to provide handy revision to experts in need of a challenge. Our basic level course, 1 st Steps to Map Reading and Navigation covers all the basics, spending about 1.5 hours in the class before heading out for a short walk putting it into practice.   A further session in the classroom over lunch helps us prepare a route card before heading up onto some local moorland to navigate with a ...