I recently spent two pleasant Monday evenings with some great people teaching -'Basic Navigation for Runners'. They each gained confidence and had their eyes and minds opened, as we de-mystified the magic of maps, learnt that 'Contours are Crucial' ... and that 'Compasses are not Complicated at All'....( Yes, this was a quote from a client!)
The following is an edit from a previous article which sums up why I think it's imperative that runners and walkers a like, need to think about their navigation and 'hillskills'.
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| 'Beautiful evening ... magical maps de-mystified' |
Hill Skills and Happy Hill People
How we access is the hills is changing: the outdoor industry is far bigger than it was just a generation ago and majority of people are introduced to and engage with the mountains through some form of guide book, magazine article, organised event or challenge. There are some brilliant courses and ‘providers’ out there but sooner or later it’s time to go forth on your own. Developing your own ‘Hills Skills’ is a very worthwhile and satisfying.
We Learn by Doing
I’ve walked,
climbed, biked and paddled in all corners of the UK and beyond. However, it has been in those far flung places
that I’ve realised it is the exploration that gives most satisfaction, together
with the appreciation of the freedom we are privileged to have in the UK.
Risk and Responsibility
Looking
after your self in the mountains is as paramount as looking after the
environment. Being warm and comfortable is quickly mastered – get your layers
right and be flexible in your clothing. Modern
fabrics make life a lot less sweaty, our rucsacs are lighter, our understanding
of food and hydration a whole new science.
We have better maps ( it’s not that long ago that maps of Scotland where
only One Inch to the Mile) and now have a proliferation of techno gadgets that
will get us to within metre of a known point on the globe. We have phones that can reach all corners of
the world; if the signal is there and the batteries are sound!
Sound Mountain Judgement
We learn by
doing. We can be taught skills and techniques
whether it is knot tying or fire lighting but until you need to do this for
real you have not mastered the skill. You
learn; ‘When to turn back, How to respect the mountain environment, and be flexible
in your plans’. It is often said, there
is no such thing as bad weather – just bad clothes .... Or
the wrong activity!
It is our responsibility in to make ourselves safe and in doing so we greatly enhance our performance and enjoyment. And the biggest factor in doing so is by learning how to navigate. By being out there in poor weather and gaining skills and experience so that we can go further and maybe, even faster?
Hill Skills - Navigation isn’t Rocket Science
OK, soon as
you mention the ‘N-word’, some people glaze over or become freaked by childhood
memories of geography teachers or Duke of Edinburgh expeditions. Another group reach for their smart phone and
then spend a while bringing up some form of mapping software which struggles to
scan and sweep to the desired scale and location, whilst fearing the basic
skill of navigation.
Contours are Crucial
All those
wiggly lines are the most important things in the hills and mountains. Don’t
worry too much about compasses; they are often over rated (especially complex
ones just like Smart phones!) Yep, you
need a compass and a map too of course but don’t get hung up on compasses
bearings and magnetic variation. Good
navigators ‘read’ the contours of map far more than they dial up a compass
bearing.
Good basic
navigation is easy! There – I said
it. We can all do it, if we want to.
About Joe Faulkner;
I’ve spent
30 years walking, climbing, running, biking and paddling in the UK and gained a
reputation as a competent ‘Mountain Athlete’.
I coach all forms of mountaineering with a specialism for Hill Skills
and Navigation. Further details can be
seen at my NAV4 Adventure website -
www.nav4.co.uk
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