Beginner Navigation Skills Course

The beginners navigation course gives you the skills and confidence to explore the UK’s hills and trails independently. Designed for those new to self-guided walking, you’ll learn essential navigation, safety, planning and kit selection in Britain’s upland environment.

We’ll meet at The Norfolk Arms, Ringinglow at the edge of the Peak District, where we’ll have a classroom session to begin with, you’ll then go on to practise your newly learned skills in the local footpaths and open access land.

Skills covered:

• Navigation fundamentals
• Map types, scales and grid references
• Orientating the map and measuring distance
• Understanding contours and terrain
• Basic compass work
• Planning a simple route
• Spotting navigational errors and relocating
• Hydration, nutrition and appropriate kit
• Emergency procedures

We start at 10am with a brew and briefing and aim to finish around 4pm.

You’ll learn how to:

• Understand maps, grid references, scales and rights of way
• Set the map and check direction of travel with a compass
• Navigate confidently using map and compass
• Choose effective navigation strategies and relocate when things go wrong
• Build confidence for hillwalking and self-guided adventures

Intermediate Navigation Skills Course

The Intermediate Navigation Course is designed for walkers with existing navigation experience who want to move confidently away from paths and tracks. Over the day, you’ll deepen your navigation skills while refining your approach to safety, planning and kit selection. We’ll also explore the impacts of weather, emergency decision-making in Britain’s upland environment.

We’ll start and finish from the Longshaw Estate in the Peak District where you’ll practise your newly learned skills on the local footpaths, moors and open access land.

We start the morning at 9am with a brew and briefing in Longsgaw cafe before heading out onto the hill, finishing around 4pm.

Skills we’ll cover:

• Advanced navigation strategies for open and complex terrain
• Map skills: types, scales, grid references and detailed contour interpretation
• Accurate distance measuring, including on undulating ground
• Compass work: setting the map, following bearings and advanced techniques
• Navigating away from paths and tracks
• Effective relocation when things don’t go to plan
• Using technology alongside traditional skills (GPS, phones and altimeters)

You’ll learn how to:

• Navigate confidently off-path using map and compass
• Choose appropriate strategies for terrain and conditions
• Relocate efficiently and calmly when geographically challenged

Advanced Navigation Skills Course

The Advanced Navigation Course is for experienced navigators looking to refine precision and confidence in complex terrain. We’ll begin by refreshing key on-path skills before moving into advanced cross-country navigation, focusing on accurate map interpretation, precise positioning and effective search techniques.

You’ll work towards identifying smaller and more exact features on the map, using a range of strategies to navigate confidently in challenging terrain and low visibility.

Based from the Castleton in the Peak District, we’ll head out from the footpath to open access moorland.

We start the morning at 9am with a brew and briefing in the Vistor Center cafe before heading out onto the hill, finishing around 4pm.

Skills we’ll cover:

• Revision of simple and advanced navigation strategies for open and complex terrain
• Back bearings, transects and aspect of slope
• Exact distance measurement on undulating terrain
• Navigating by contours alone
• Navigation and decision-making in low visibility
• Relocation strategies when geographically challenged
• Using technology alongside traditional skills (GPS, phones and altimeters)

You’ll learn how to:

• Navigate confidently off-path using map and compass in complex terrain and challenging visibility
• Choose appropriate navigation strategies for terrain and conditions
• Relocate efficiently and calmly when geographically challenged