Contours and Compasses

Contours and Compasses - A practical introduction to navigating the outdoors with confidence

One day navigation course in the lake district or yorkshire dales

Whether you’re a complete beginner or want to expand on your skills, our navigation days aim to equip you with the knowledge and information you need to explore the British countryside with confidence.

Taking place in either the Yorkshire Dales of the Lake District, our navigation days are a ‘hands on’ experience - after a brief introductory chat in a local cafe, we head straight outside to practice your navigation, get to know the landscape and have a great day out!

By the end of the day, you will have new map reading and navigation skills and be ready to put them into practice on your own adventures.

Our navigation days are available both as private days exclusively for you and your group of up to 6 people on a date to suit you, or as small group events on specific dates - see below for details.

What will you learn?

Private navigation days can be tailored to your own interests and experience, but for those new to navigation, you can expect to end the day having learnt:

• How to recognise Ordnance Survey map symbols and features

• How to plan your own routes

• How to read the landscape to identify your location on a map

• How to take a compass bearing

• How to measure distance on the ground

Practical details

How much does it cost? For a private course, the cost is £200 for a full day from 10am until 4pm for a group of up to 6 people. Cost includes use of compasses and maps. If you’d rather join a group walk, the cost is £50 per person and you can see details below.

Where is it? We run our navigation days in both the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales. Our group walks start from Clapham in the Yorkshire Dales and Grasmere in the Lake District. Private navigation days can start in these locations or in a different location to suit you.

Distance/physical difficulty? The focus of the day is on navigation skills, not covering distance, so you will likely cover no more than a few miles at a fairly slow pace. The terrain is likely to include hills and be rocky, wet and/or muddy in places. However, the route can be tailored to suit you so, if you prefer easy going terrain, just let us know.

What time? Our navigation days are a full day out, generally running from 10am to 4pm but times can be changed to suit you.

Do I need previous navigation experience? Absolutely not! We love helping people get involved in map reading and navigation for the first time and seeing how it expands their ability to plan their own adventures. That said, if you have some experience that you want to build on, that is great too!

What should I bring? We’ll provide an info sheet before the day including details of what to bring. In summary, this will be warm clothes, waterproof jacket, sturdy footwear, drinks and food. You don’t need your own map or compass as we will provide these on the day.

Can I get some more information before I book? Of course! Just drop us a line or give us a ring. Click below for

Detailed summary of the day

The aim of our navigation days is to give you the skills to independently explore the hills and mountains of the UK with confidence! It doesn’t matter if you are a complete beginner, or have plenty of walking experience – we will work with you to develop your existing skills and there’s always plenty to learn!

Before we head out walking, we’ll have an indoor chat in a local café to discuss your aims for the day. We’ll also have a good look at the map and talk through some key fundamentals of map reading. Understanding the information on the map allows you to accurately plan a journey, giving a good idea of landmarks and features you will pass along the route, as well as how far you will be travelling.

We’ll discuss map scales and symbols to make sure you are familiar with some basic features that most maps will include. Other learning points for the day are likely to include grid lines (including grid references), measuring distance on the map, working out timings, and an introduction to contour lines. Contours allow you to visualise the shape of the land and understanding them can be essential if you’re going to be walking in mountainous terrain.

Out on the hill we’ll then start practicing some practical navigation skills! This will include orientating the map, using linear features to ‘handrail’ your route, looking at the functions of carrying a compass (including a step by step guide to taking compass bearings), using landform as a navigation tool, and understanding access legislation so we know where we are allowed to walk. 

By the end of the day, you should be comfortable with map reading, and how to use those skills to help with planning your own route. You’ll also be taking away the knowledge of how to navigate successfully outdoors (without needing to rely on GPS technology, although we will cover when that can be useful!).

Small group navigation days

If you’d like to do our Contours and Compasses one day navigation course as part of a small group, rather than as a private booking, you can book a space in either the Lake District or Yorkshire Dales below.