Navigation Courses in Snowdonia North Wales & Brecon Beacons South Wales

We specialise in small groups (no more than 1:6) so that we can achieve the best ratios enabling you to learn more.

On our courses we will cover the essential skills to help you navigate simply and efficiently in low or bad visibility. On novice/intermediate courses we spend around 1hr or so indoors learning the basics of map reading, the scales used, what contours lines are as well as how grid references work and taking compass bearings from a map and then using them in the outdoor environment. The rest of the day is then spent outside on and off marked paths and tracks.

At the next level up on intermediate/advanced we will refresh the basics at the start of the day before heading straight outside in to the local hills and mountains.

We use the Ordnance Survey 1;25000 scale map of Snowdonia, Its map number is OL17.

Some of the things we cover on our courses are:

Novice Courses
Map Scales used by hill walkers
The Grid system and Grid References
Map symbols
Public Rights of Way and the CROW Act
Contour Lines
Use of the compass to take bearings from a map
Walking on general compass bearings
Hand-railing large features
Identifying large features on a map and then find them in the surrounding area
Macro or large area navigation techniques
Learn how to pre plan a simple mountain walk and follow it, hopefully without getting lost!
Route cards

Intermediate and Advanced Courses
Work out personal pacing for 100 metres
Micro Navigation - techniques which concentrate on using short distances and/or navigating to smaller features on the ground.
Pacing distances
Estimating times taken using Naithsmiths Rule and Tranters table of corrections
How to use 'dead reckoning' bearings
Aiming off
Attack points
Resection and triangulation
Identifying and locating smaller features on the map and on the ground
Pre planning a longer route in more complex terrain.
Route cards

We always aim to cover other mountain related topics during the course, bad weather planning, emergency procedures for injury or if you get lost, our tips on clothing and footwear and food and hydration and we are always happy to answer any questions you may have during the day.

Night Navigation Sessions

These are evening sessions that can be added to any of our normal navigation courses or taken separately. The session focuses more on micro navigation, pacing and timing as well as getting you used to walking and map reading with a head torch on and working with the shortened distances that you may, or may not be able to see! Navigating in the dark or in very bad visibility needs and extra degree of awareness and on this session you will learn simple steps to help keep you focused and safe when navigating with a map and compass at night. These evening sessions usually last around 4hrs. Maximum teaching ratio 1:6.

2010 Course Dates Snowdonia

One Day courses cover novice or intermediate level and Two Day courses cover novice to intermediate and intermediate to advanced on the second day.

Novice/ Intermediate

Intermediate/ Advanced

Course Dates 2010: Brecon Beacons 

1 and/or 2 day courses meeting in Crickhowell. Simply choose a Saturday 1 day course or the whole weekend.

September 11th - 12th

October      16th - 17th

November  6th - 7th

December  4th - 5th

Please contact us for other dates as these courses are run on demand, generally we need a minimum group size of 4 for a course to run.