Advanced Navigation (Gold NNAS)

Enhance your skills with our Advanced Navigation Course | Gold NNAS Certified

Summary

This is it – all your epics and adventures have led you to this moment. You are ready to venture forth regardless of terrain, weather or even daylight. Fame and renown for pinpoint accuracy is what you are after and we can show you how. You’re going outside and you may be some time!

Advanced Navigation (Gold NNAS)

Price : £245.00 per person

Location : Peak District

Duration : 2 Days

Ratio : 1:4

Minimum age : 13

What's Included :
  • Expert tuition
  • Use of all required navigation equipment
  • Complimentary refreshments
  • Free parking
  • Personalised feedback and development plan
  • 5% discount on equipment in our shop

Share Course :

Highlights

  • Learn to navigate in poor visibility and at night
  • Expand and refine your skills to use in any terrain or weather

Course Overview

A two day practical Advanced Navigation Course based in the Peak District aimed at enhancing your already advanced skills to get you out exploring the wilder and more remote parts of the UK. Aimed at navigators with a strong experience base wanting to push away from the paths and tracks, our Advanced Navigation Course offers an in depth insight into more technical navigation methods.

You will focus on the use of smaller and more infrequent features and navigating through poor weather or in the dark. On completion of this rigorous course you will be able to plan and follow routes in all open countryside, forest or hill environments and will have gained a lot of confidence in your ability to navigate in difficult and challenging conditions.


Based at the Adventure Hub in the heart of the Peak District, you will be perfectly situated to launch out onto the high moorland, crags and ridges of the Dark Peak. This course starts around midday on the first day and finishes in the early evening (to practice some night navigation). On the second day, the course will run from 09:30 to 16:30.


The NNAS Gold Navigator Award is accredited by the Scottish Credit & Qualifications Framework (SCQF) at Level 6, and 2 SCQF credit points are awarded on completion.

Course Outcomes

  • Utilise the skills and techniques of the Beginner and Intermediate Courses
  • Utilise contours and fine detail as the prime method of navigation
  • Accurately: Follow a route, judge distance, check progress against time, use relevant compass skills and maintain continuous map contact
  • Use back bearings and transits to confirm the current position
  • Use aspect of slope as an aid to relocation
  • Select appropriate techniques within an overall navigation strategy
  • Navigate in intricate terrain in reduced visibility i.e. mist or darkness
  • Select an appropriate, safe route in relation to height gain and loss, dangerous terrain and other major hazards
  • Assess the route ahead in the field in relation to prevailing conditions or changing circumstances (e.g. weather, time, daylight, ability/fitness) and re-plan the route appropriately if necessary
  • Shorten a route, use an escape route and know emergency procedures
  • Recognise the occurrence of a navigational error within a few minutes and apply appropriate relocation techniques
  • Select appropriate clothing, equipment and first aid for walking in remote areas in all weather conditions
  • Understand the physical demands created by hill and moorland terrain in all weather conditions
  • Understand the effects of cold, heat, fatigue and discomfort on decision making and execution of a selected route

Course Information

YOUR ADVANCED NAVIGATION COURSE


Prior to day one you will receive a pre-course question paper, this will need to be completed and brought along to the practical training session.


Day One
12:30 - 21:00


Get ready to further enhance your hard earned navigation skills on this in-depth and informative practical weekend that will focus on boosting your confidence whilst accessing more remote terrain.

ARRIVE AT THE ADVENTURE HUB BASE

Your instructor will welcome you and discuss the aims of the course and you own aspirations over a great cup of fresh Italian coffee or tea.

CLASSROOM SESSION
A brief theory session covering the advanced theory of compass techniques and micro navigation as well as safe and practical movement at night. As ever safety in the hills will underpin this session.

COLLECT AND CHECK YOUR EQUIPMENT
You'll need to collect maps and compasses and check that your rucksack is suitably packed ready for what the weather may throw at you.

TRAVEL TO WALK LOCATION
The exact location will depend on the weather, aims and abilities of the group. Our walk location will usually be within 20 minutes drive of The Adventure Hub so we will travel dressed and ready to walk immediately upon arrival.

PRACTICAL NAVIGATION SESSION
Your instructor will demonstrate new advanced practical skills and give you the chance to refresh your own skills before upping the ante with more demanding skills and navigation targets. We cover safe and effective movement over challenging terrain in time for night fall. The route for the evening will encourage new techniques to be adopted rapidly. A lot of time will be spent exploring advanced compass techniques and learning to read the surrounding contours and absorb and reflect on clues experienced in your immediate journey despite limited visibility.

BACK TO THE ADVENTURE HUB
Once we are off the hill we will return to the Adventure Hub. With a mug of hot chocolate in hand, we summarise the key learning points from the evenings adventure and discuss your progress so far and set some personalised development targets for day two.

Day Two
9:30 - 16:30


THE CHALLENGE
The second hill day we shift independence and leading over to you whilst we refine and consolidate on the learning from day one and continue to push your appreciation and use of micro contour features. As you become more confident your instructor will offer you the chance to further consolidate your skills by setting increasingly and suitably challenging targets for you to guide the group to. You will choose a suitable navigation strategy in discussion with your instructor, execute it and reflect on it afterwards. Your fellow group members will use this as an opportunity to track and relocate themselves once you arrive at your destination.

BACK TO THE ADVENTURE HUB
Once we are off the hill you will return to the Adventure Hub for the final time. Here we'll discuss your overall progress in line with the Gold NNAS syllabus and tell you if you have successfully completed the required skills (Should you disagree with the judgement of your instructor or feel you were unfairly treated the whole process is protected by an independent complaints procedure the details of which can be found here https://nnas.org.uk/complaints-procedure/). We'll also set you some personalised development targets to get you fulfilling your personal ambitions and finally give you a copy of the post-course question paper, this will need to be completed and returned before we can issue you with certification.

  • Standard hillwalking gear including good waterproofs (jackets and trousers)
  • Good quality walking boots/shoes with a good tread
  • A good high powered head torch, preferably LED with spare batteries
  • Lunch, a good supply of snacks and a drink
  • Warm clothing including spare layers, gloves and hat
  • Sun cream, hat and sunglasses (you just never know!)
  • A compass if you own one, alternatively we have some available to borrow or buy
  • We provide maps

A significant amount of previous formal navigation experience is assumed

  • As a Certified B Corp, we’re one of a growing number of global businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance.
  • Our well-equipped training centre, The Adventure Hub, is Carbon Neutral.
  • We encourage car sharing wherever feasible.
  • We encourage the use of public transport on all our courses. Bamford Railway Station is 5 minutes' walk and we enjoy direct bus connections to Sheffield and nearby villages.
  • We offer free camping kit for guests staying locally and looking to cut down on luggage.
  • Our staff are trained to prolong the life of equipment used on this course, where it is possible to recycle equipment at the end of its life, we do so appropriately.
  • We operate in small teams at low ratios to reduce our impact on the venues we use and other countryside users.
  • We donate 5% of the value of all sales to The Pure Outdoor Foundation.

  • The physical and mental benefits of outdoor activities are numerous and well documented, we firmly believe that those benefits should be available to as many people as possible.

  • If you are interested in experiencing any of our activities but feel unable to do so then please contact us to discuss your specific needs, we will always try to find a solution that works for you.

  • There are a range of simple adaptions we can make to our scheduled courses such as choosing venues with minimal walking or easy access to toilet facilities, providing cold storage facilities for temperature sensitive medications, allowing additional time or arranging for participants to be accompanied by a trusted aide.

  • When participation as part of an open group isn't appropriate we can arrange private tuition. This allows for a more tailored approach and a much wider range of adaptions such as assisted climbing and abseiling techniques for participants with significant physical or mobility issues.

  • If private tuition is unaffordable then we can sometimes offer subsidised places to bring the price back in line with our scheduled courses .These are provided by the Pure Outdoor Foundation whose goal is to bring as many people as possible into the outdoors, please enquire about availability.


  • Clear communication before the activity is crucial so, as well as telephone and email conversations, we can also arrange to meet participants directly at a venue days or weeks beforehand to identify any specific barriers and begin addressing any anxieties.

FAQs

Start time: 12:00 - Finish time: . Please note, these times are approximate and could be subject to minor changes. Please leave plenty of time when booking public transport.

Anyone aged 13 or over can attend any of our scheduled courses with the exception of Mountain Biking and Winter Skills where the minimum age is 18 unless accompanied by a parent.

We hold an AALA license and are able to take out children who are younger than 13, however we only offer this on a private guided basis. See our private guiding rates, as this can work out very competitive, especially when booking as a family. There is no maximum age, if you feel young enough to attend then you are very welcome!

This course is a non-residential course, so we do not provide any accommodation. However there are many amazing places to stay locally. Take a look at our accommodation guide in the info section for more information.

Our instructors can be booked privately to deliver this course. Benefit from private tuition, pick a date that suits you and your instructor can design the day to suit your needs. You can hire one of our instructors from just £250 inc vat per day. (Click here to book a private course)