Introduction to Navigation Course
Navigation is an essential building block to equip anyone for outdoor adventures.
This two day beginners navigation course is not only great fun, but gives you the basics to be competent on walks on paths around the Peak District and beyond. We also cover basic emergency procedures so you can be safe anywhere on the hills.
Who is it for ?
You know what a map is, but the myriad of lines on it can get confusing and you have a huge sigh of relief when you follow a guidebook route and end up back safely where you started. Working out where to go on the map would have incorporated a significant element of guesswork and a fair bit of good luck.
Or more simply, anyone who doesn’t want to get lost or those that have, and recognise it wasn’t very sensible!
Introduction to Navigation – Course Overview
A highly practical two days giving you the essentials to be able to follow paths and tracks on your outdoor adventures.
We provide maps and compasses, and teach you how to use them to navigate with confidence along simple routes.
The first day of the beginners course is the same course content as our Introduction to Navigation 1 day course. The second day builds on those basics and teaches more advanced navigation techniques and allows refinement of the techniques learned in different terrain. This ensures the knowledge is ingrained in your navigational DNA.
We also cover other essential skills for hillwalking safely such as movement skills, weather, nutrition and emergency procedures.
If you are a regular hillwalker who has some map knowledge you may be suitable for an Intermediate Navigation course / NNAS Silver. Please contact the office if you are unsure and we will steer you in the right direction.
We would like to offer a space where women can develop and practice their skills in a women’s only environment, learning from female instructors. We have tried to run these courses multiple times for the last three years but only twice got enough participants to make it viable. We no longer offer dates as open courses, however if you would like to attend a women’s only course, you can do this as a bespoke course and we will provide a female instructor.
Beyond the Edge are one of the UKs most experienced providers of mountain training courses and they are both highly informative and run by hugely experienced trainers. Importantly in our opinion, they are also fun and run in a friendly manner. We take great pride in the very high percentage of individuals who return for further courses.
Introduction to Navigation – Course Format
We start at 9am with a chat over a cuppa in our training room, covering some theory and a few fun exercises before heading outside. During the course we will cover:
- The basics of navigation
- Maps. Different types and scales.
- Grid references
- Orientating the map
- Measuring distances
- Understanding contours
- Compass work
- Planning a simple route
- Navigational errors, spotting them and relocating
- Hydration, nutrition and kit
- Emergency procedures
We aim to finish the day at around 5pm.
Course Details
- Location: Peak District
- Cost: £165 per person
- Duration: 2 days
- Ratio: 1:8
- Level: Introduction
More Information
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Course Dates
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Bespoke Dates and Locations
If there are no dates suitable and there are four or more of you that would like a Beginners Navigation course, please contact the office and we will arrange some dates and a location to suit your diary.
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Meeting Point
The course will meet at The Sir William Hotel at 0900 in the village of Grindleford. The village has good bus and train links with Sheffield and good train links to Manchester.
The hotel has ample free parking.
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Equipment Required
A full kit list with recommendations as to what works best is contained in the Joining Instructions. These also contain a host of helpful tips and links to articles and videos to help you get the most out of the course.
We can provide maps and a compass, please just let us know if you require this.
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Recommended Reading
Whilst it is not required to read anything before this Introduction to Navigation course (apart from the joining instructions!). The official handbook of Mountain Training (National Governing Body for Leadership Awards) that covers navigation contains lots of useful information. It is:
Mountain Training Handbook, Volume 4, Navigation in the mountains. Carlo Forte. -
Fitness Level
You certainly don’t have to be super fit to enjoy this navigation course. Average fitness is all that is required.
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Accommodation Options
This Beyond the Edge course is non-residential to allow you to select between a thermarest or 5 star hotel as you require.
There is lots of accommodation in the Hope Valley and we recommend The Sir William which offers BtE clients a discount and this course runs from here.
Further details and other options are listed on our Accommodation page.
If you are struggling to find something or want something special, contact the office and we will endeavour to assist.
FAQs
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How do I book ?
The best way is via this webpage. Choose the date from the options on the above and then submit your booking and request an invoice or pay. If your course is under six weeks away you must pay the full amount.
For bespoke events get in touch first so we can check diaries and if required give you a quote. Get in touch by either calling the office on 01142 631 155 or emailing us.
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Does the course include accommodation ?
Not usually! We prefer to let you choose where you will be most comfortable. This may be in a tent or in a luxury hotel.
In the Peak District we work out of the The Sir William hotel. This is a comfortable Inn with stunning views over the Hope valley and it also serves great food. We recommend that you stay here as they are well versed in looking after walkers and climbers, offer a discount to BtE clients and it’s a 30 second commute from the breakfast table to our meeting room! Further details are on our accommodation page.
If this doesn’t suit you for whatever reason, other accommodation options can be found on our accommodation page.
For bespoke courses and events we can arrange whatever you desire from a bivouac under the stars to a spa hotel.
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Children, Parking, Dogs, COVID and everything else...
You will find all of the most frequently asked questions and their answers on our FAQ webpage
