Intermediate Navigation - NNAS 2 Day Certificate with Hiking Highs

About

Fell Walkers, especially those wishing to head up into the mountains, Road & Trail runners new to navigation who wish to explore new routes.

This is an intermediate-level course for navigation for personal development & will give you a NNAS (National Navigation Award Scheme) Silver Award, assuming you are able to demonstrate a good understanding and application of the skills being learnt on the course.

If you demonstrate the correct understanding after 2 days intensive training and assessment, then you will walk away with a NNAS Silver Certificate and will be able to use this to either gain your Gold Award or put it towards a Mountain Leader Training course.

You will be crossing open fell, for short durations and this will not be on paths. Having said this we will travel very slowly over this ground and ensure the safety of participants. We will mostly only be walking over grassey tussocks, boggy area and occasional rocky sections which will not be technical, but will be off path.

It is not required to have the NNAS Bronze Certificate before signing up for the Silver level, BUT we prefer it if you have Bronze level! iIf you feel that you really are up to Silver Level, then please call Nicola on 07976 949488 before signing up, so we can discuss your previous experience.

On the 2 Day Silver Course, you will learn:

Utilise the skills and techniques of the Bronze Award in the context of Silver Award navigation strategies.
Relate small hills, small valleys, prominent re-entrants and prominent spurs to their corresponding map contours. Use prominent hills, ridges, spurs and valleys as a means of navigation in good visibility.
Use landforms and point features to orientate the map and as collecting and catching features.
Use a compass to: Accurately follow a bearing; aim off; check the direction of handrails and other linear features.
Deviate briefly from a compass bearing to avoid obstacles or difficult terrain and accurately regain the original line.
Use back bearings to check route following accuracy.
Measure distance on the ground in varied, open terrain using timing and pacing and make practical allowances for any discrepancies.
Simplify legs using coarse navigation, attack points and fine navigation.
Recognise dangerous or difficult terrain on map and ground.
Plan and implement navigational strategies based on the above skills.
Maintain route finding accuracy in poor visibility or darkness.
Recognise a navigation error within a few minutes and apply appropriate relocation techniques.
Understand how personal fitness and nature of terrain affect route choice both at the planning stage and on the ground.
Understand the potential consequences of fatigue and physical discomfort in demanding terrain and/or extreme weather conditions.
Select appropriate clothing, equipment and first aid items for walking in open country in all weather conditions.
Demonstrate an understanding of the Countryside Code, current access legislation and the environmental impact of walkers on the countryside.
Understand the responsibilities of walkers towards other countryside interests such as farming, forestry and conservation.
What are the benefits?

Gain a deeper understanding on how to use a map & compass in order to navigate a chosen route in difficult conditions, across different scales of maps and over difficult terrain.
Grow your confidence to take people further afield, but with-in your qualification's perimeter's
Use this course to help you gain your Walking Leader Qualification (It will set you on the right track, giving you a good understanding of navigation, not give you the course work or qualification)

Course Dates:
15th & 16th March 2025 - Coniston
21st & 22nd May 2025 - Ullswater
7th & 8th November 2025 - Ullswater

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