The ability to safely navigate is a core skill of a There are many ways that you can learn walk leader, and a useful skill for any walker in to navigation skills, including:
have. Appropriate navigation skills enable you
• (e.g. online films;
to:
navigation books)
• Accurately a trip
• Learning from and fellow
• the plan to others
• Attending
• a walk is likely to take
• (e.g. during a career in
• when something unexpected the armed forces, outdoor education or with happens mountain rescue)
• to In this factsheet we highlight short films that the emergency services if needed teach the basics of good navigation that will help you enjoy inspiring walks with confidence.
If you are new to navigating and you lead walks in the countryside we suggest you . They will help you get familiar with the basics of using a map and will start to build your confidence.
Use this factsheet alongside
•
•
These are also available on the
Assemble document hub.
What does the visual language of OS maps tell Using a range of techniques helps us navigate us? safely.
How to orientate the map to help us translate the features around us How do maps help us understand the shape of the land around us?
What to need to think about when choosing a compass?
How can contours help us find our current
What do different parts of the compass do and location?
why are they important for navigation?
How can you estimate how long a walk should take?
What are tick-off features and how can they help us track our progress?
How to estimate how far you have travelled using the pacing technique.
Using a compass to take a bearing and lead off with confidence.
Significant features like paths and rivers can help
We all need to know how to provide a grid to reassure us we are on the right track.
reference, especially in an emergency. Start with learning how to take a 4-figure grid reference.
When we leave the path, how can we use a
A 6-figure grid reference will provide more bearing to get safely to the right destination?
accurate information about your location.
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Take some time alone and with other people in your group to put some of these techniques into practice:
. Do it individually and see how close . Is it different if you are walking up or you got to other people’s timings. down a slope? What variation is there is between different walkers?
At the start of a walk, using visible features such as paths, slopes and landmarks. Use a .
compass too. Do it in a group and see if you 1½ min = 4 km/h all set the map in the same direction. 2 min = 3 km/h 3 min = 2 km/h 6 min = 1 km/h Use these to How does this compare to the planned pace in more detail.
of your walk? Do you need to make changes to complete your walk in the time you have?
before you head out on your next walk. How easy is
Spend 10 it to spot them all in the ‘real world’ when minutes focused on feeling the contours as you are walking?
you walk. Notice how different it feels walking on a diagonal compared to walking at 900 to a slope. Notice when the steepness On a map choose two of a slope changes.
points, A and B, around 2km apart, in largely untracked hill country. Plan a route from A to B looking for handrails, aiming off attack On a slope, practice points, tick off and catching features. Do this following the lines of a contour without going is groups and compare your route to other up or down. This is called ‘walking a contour people’s. What did you learn from each line’. One person can do this unaided, other?
relying on their feeling of the slope. and another person can follow behind and use the altitude meter on OS locate to see how .
accurate you were.
Compare you reference with others in your group. Check your refence on apps like OS locate. How accurate were you? Take a reading of your elevation using OS locate.
Use this reading and the contours on your on paths where you map to try and locate yourself. Use the grid can easily check how accurate you are. How reference from OS locate to check how similar or different were the bearings accurate you were.
different people took? What is the benefit of more than one person taking a bearing? Use an app like OS locate to see how accurate you were.
Always observe current coronavirus restrictions and guidance Page 3 of 4 Last updated: 01/03/2021 There are several providers of navigation training, including:
At the Ramblers we’re committed to supporting you as a walk leader in your volunteer role.
The National Navigation Award Scheme (NNAS)
• We offer support, guidance and training to is a personal performance, non-competitive, help develop your skills and confidence and incentive scheme for all ages to learn navigation to give you a chance to learn with other skills and gain confidence to get out and enjoy members and volunteers. the countryside. NNAS courses are delivered throughout the country by over 300 providers.
• We often promote training in our members newsletter, so make sure you sign up to get this at . If you don’t sign up we can’t contact you, so don’t miss out!
1,000+ courses across UK incl. Lowland Leader,
• If you have day-to-day questions about walk Hill and Moorland Leader, Mountain Leader.
leadership, there will be loads of people in your group and area happy to share their experience with you.
Courses in the Highlands include Summer Alpine,
• You can also contact us with any questions
Winter Mountain, Expeditions and overseas trips
about walk leadership, or if you can’t find walk leader training in your area.
Drop us a line at
FCT have a wide range of outdoor courses
• Ramblers courses are promoted through our throughout the seasons.
volunteer website Assemble. We also use our Eventbrite pages where you can see what courses are available Our thanks to Nigel Williams for additional learning activities.
The films highlighted in this resource were produced by
Glenmore Lodge (Sports Scotland) and Ordnance Survey and are freely available on their YouTube channels.
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