Goode Walks can help you navigate the great outdoors – by teaching you how to find your way around a map and compass.
Want to learn some basic map and navigation skills to give you more confidence outdoors, but don’t fancy ‘going back to school’? Then try our fun and informal Navigation Walks.
Suitable for walking beginners or those wanting to build on a very basic understanding of maps and route-finding, the half-day course will allow you to enjoy being outdoors more, giving you more confidence to plan your own walks.
Goode Walks owner Julian Goode is a Mountain Training qualified Lowland Leader, with proven navigation, mapwork and route-finding skills.
The ability to efficiently navigate along a planned walk is a fundamental skill for any walk leader – and he’ll pass the essence of those navigation basics on to you during time out walking together. Then you’ll be better able to enjoy the great outdoors – all by yourself!
The course is split into two parts. Firstly there’s a familiarisation session to take a first look at the map, understand the basic concept of mapping, and say hello to the compass.
Depending on the seasonal weather conditions this may take place outside at the meeting point, or otherwise we’ll find a suitable indoor talking spot, such as a local café.
Then we’ll get outdoors and walk while we move through the rest of the course points covered below, putting them into practice as we move along. We won’t walk more than a few miles during the time together, but rest assured we’ll advise you on what you need to bring with you on the day.
- Looking at Ordnance Survey maps, both Explorer and Landranger
- Go through the map legend and what all the symbols mean
- Understanding rights of way – footpaths, bridleways etc – on the map and on the ground
- Recognising key features on the map, such as contours, fields, streams etc
- Understanding scale of the maps
- Grid references, what they are and how to provide one
- Compass basics and finding your way around one
- Getting the map the right way round
- Planning a route, selecting maps and guidebooks
- Keeping the weather in mind
- Following a route in practice, following paths, turning at junctions
- Other navigation skills such as pacing and timing to estimate distance
- Navigation aids: GPS and digital mapping
- Maps and compasses are provided (but bring your own if you prefer!)