Navigation training in Yorkshire Dales

This weekend was spent in the western half of the Yorkshire Dales on a navigation course. This is obviously an essential skill for trekking, but it also forms the main assessment for the Mountain Leader qualification. So pretty useful. Before the course my map reading and compass skills were pretty basic. Working out distances and not staying on bearings were probably my main faults. After the weekend though, I am quite confident on both of these.

Calculating distances is done either through pacing or timing. For every 100 metres, I average about 55 paces on normal terrain. So counting paces can obviously tell you how far you've travelled on a map. Over longer distances, timing is better. The average walking speed is 4km per hour. Critically I don't usually trek with a watch - about time I made the investment. Judging how far landmarks are in the distance is another skill in navigation. This is down to practice, but once you do it a few times, the mind remembers. But factors like light can affect this.

Taking a bearing off the compass is another essential part of map reading. I spent most of Saturday, navigating short distances off bearings. After lining up between the destination and current points, you add 3 degrees for magnetic north. Then turn the compass so that north matches the bearing. These are the basics, but I gained other bits of knowledge - map symbols and what to do in emergencies. Basic stuff but very important. Other skills included leapfrogging with a companion and calculating positions on the map.

This was my first time in Dales - very frosty and foggy but beautiful with the low winter sun.