Introduction to Navigation (1 day)
A one day navigation course for the complete beginner.
Have fun, learn skills and begin exploring the amazing outdoors. Our one navigation day course gives you the basics to go out and come home safely.
Delivered by massively experienced instructors in a fun and engaging way in the beautiful Peak District.
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 and those that have and recognise it wasn’t very sensible!
Introduction to Navigation – Course Overview
A highly practical day giving you the essentials to be able to follow paths and tracks.
We provide maps and compasses, and teach you how to use them to navigate with confidence along simple routes. This is the first day of our two day Introduction to Navigation course which includes further tuition.
If you want to be learn to walk (or run) on bearings away from paths then our Intermediate Navigation (NNAS silver) course is your walking progression or one of trail or fell running ones for those that prefer a bit more speed.
For some courses we offer a space where women can develop and practice their skills in a women’s only environment, learning from female instructors. If you would like to attend a women’s only course, please look for the ‘(women’s only)’ indication after the date in the list.
Beyond the Edge are one of the UKs most experienced providers of training courses for hills and mountains and our courses 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.
Course Format
The Introduction to navigation course will be flexible depending on the prevailing weather conditions. A rough outline of the course is:
Start 09:00 Grindleford
We start with a short chat to introduce the course and ourselves and also work out individuals knowledge before looking at some fundamental skills before heading out. During the day we will cover:
- The basics of navigation
- Maps. Different types and scales.
- Orientating the map
- Grid references
- Measuring distances by timing and pacing
- Relocating when lost
- Using a compass to set a map and check direction
Close 17:00
Course Details
- Location: Peak District
- Cost: £89
- Duration: 1 day
- Ratio: 1:8
- Level: Introduction
More Information
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Course Dates
Our women only courses for 2023 are TBC.
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Bespoke Dates and Locations
If there are no suitable dates and there are two or more of you that want to learn navigation, please contact the office and we will arrange some dates 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 will provide you with a map and a compass for the day. That way you know what to buy and can spend your hard earned cash on getting the right one after the day.
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Recommended Reading
Whilst it is not required to read anything before the course (apart from the joining instructions!), we give some suggestions below. More detailed suggestions together with a host of helpful links and videos are contained in our Introduction to Navigation Course Joining Instructions.
The official handbook of Mountain Training (National Governing Body) that covers navigation contains lots of useful information. It is:
Mountain Training Handbook, Volume 4, Navigation in the mountains. Carlo Forte.
Ordnance survey also produces a very useful free downloadable guide: www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/docs/ebooks/map-reading.pdf -
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 pay the deposit.
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 and other options are listed 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
