Hill Navigation

We offer sessions on request to meet your needs, catering for those who already enjoy walking but wish to learn new or improve their existing navigation skills. We also run evening, low visibility and night hill navigation experiences.

Beginners or those with little or no experience in hill navigation, may wish to cover;

• Safety in the hills - footwear, clothing and emergency kit.
• Basic Map work - reading a map, identifying key features and relating them to the landscape.
• Basic Compass work - taking a bearing, following a bearing, using a compass in conjunction with a map.
• Micro Navigation - working out your personal pacing and timing, relating this practically to the route.
• Observation - use of landscape features as handrails, tick points and catchment features.
• Contours - basic use of contours to aid navigation, route planning and establishing escape routes.

We promote and teach minimal environmental impact ethos, and ensure low coach to student ratio (max 1:4).

See the Calendar for details of hill navigation sessions from locations around the Manx countryside. For booking details including how to book on a scheduled session or book a hill navigation session to suit your own group's schedule, please see the How to Book page.

Basic Hill Navigation - progression

Progression sessions have both theoretical and practical elements. The practical elements take place in the unspoilt Manx countryside, and therefore may well be in unfamiliar, and occasionally uneven or steep terrain. .

For groups of 4 - 6 desiring a intensive experience in one block, a two day course is offered, including an optional overnight camp. Please contact us for more details.

Those with experience who wish to further their skills may wish to cover;

• Contours - use of contours as primary means of navigation.
• Low Visibility and Night Navigation using pacing, timing and compass work.
• Weather - reading synoptic charts, isobars, fronts and depressions.
• Comprehensive route planning, personalising Naismith's Rule using pacing and timing, use of grid references.
• Introductory leadership skills in the field.

Members of the Adventure Club can also access Exclusive Holidays & Trips, which include mountain walking.