News from Peak Navigation Courses

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...

More Navigation in the Snow! Peak Navigation Courses run a series of “Quality Days“ or Navigation Master classes aimed at allowing people who can already navigate the chance of some more testing navigation in remote locations. Last Sunday’s course certainly proved that in snowy conditions on Bleaklow with high winds and wind chill temperatures estimated to be -8 degrees (though I thought colder). Setting off from Birchin Clough car park we ascended Lady Clough before crossing the Snake Road onto Bleaklow via Upper North Grain. Difficult navigation on featureless terrain - Navigation Masterclass Quality Day on Kinder Scout Specifically we practised pacing and pacing in snowy conditions where there is a significant loss of traction requiring more paces to 100m. After joining the Pennine way which we followed for 300m, we continued off path navigating to obscure pools and spot heights; via Over Wood Moss before reaching the shelter and welcome respite of Oyster...

A ‘Quality day” Peak Navigation Courses are running a series of " Quality Days " to enable competent navigators to log up experience (possibly with the aim of progressing towards their Mountain Leader or Walking Group Leader awards). Last Sunday’s Quality Day was a full on 8 hours of exacting navigation off path on Bleaklow one of the peak districts most difficult to navigate areas. In addition to difficult navigation, we also looked at crossing steep ground and a river crossing. On route we passed the site (Photo) in the Upper Alport Valley where 3 scouts perished in a blizzard, poignant. You don't have to be working towards a qualification to partake in the quality days, it helps if you know how to use a compass and must definitely be up for a full day out in the hills! If you are planning on visiting and walking in the Peak District,Jane and Mike from Peak Navigation Courses are happy to advise on conditions, route choice, navigation, equipment and hill skills,...