Navigation
Which Navigation Course Is Right for Me? Bronze, Silver and Gold Explained
"Which navigation course should I book?" is a question we hear a lot. The answer depends on where you're starting from and what you want to do on the hill. This guide explains how our courses fit together, so you can start in the right place.
The National Navigation Award Scheme (NNAS)
Most of our navigation courses follow the NNAS, the UK's recognised scheme for walkers and hill users. It has three levels:
- Bronze: navigating confidently on paths and tracks in the countryside.
- Silver: leaving the paths behind and navigating across open country using contours and a compass.
- Gold: precise navigation in challenging terrain and poor visibility.
You don't need to collect awards to enjoy navigating, but the levels are a really useful way to see where you are and what to learn next.
Before you start: our free online course
If you've never used a map and compass, our free online course is a great first step. Four short lessons by email cover setting the map, grid references and more, with exercises to try on your local walks. It's also a handy refresher before any of the courses below.
The pathway at a glance
Step 1: Right Way in a Day. The basics put into practice in the Peak District in a single day: setting the map, measuring distance, following a bearing and working out where you are. Ideal if you want to build confidence quickly.
Step 2: Bronze. A solid foundation for walking in the countryside on paths and tracks. If you'd like to plan and walk your own routes in the Peak District with confidence, this is the place to start. No previous experience is needed.
Step 3: Silver. Delivered and assessed to the Silver syllabus, this is where you leave the paths behind: interpreting contours, using the compass properly and navigating across open moorland like Kinder Scout and Bleaklow. You should already be comfortable navigating on paths and tracks, and Bronze is the ideal preparation.
Step 4: Gold. Precise navigation in demanding terrain, in a small group of up to 4 people per instructor. It's for experienced hill walkers who already have plenty of formal navigation under their belt. The Gold award is accredited at SCQF Level 6.
Workshops to sharpen your skills
Alongside the awards, our shorter workshops focus on specific skills: finding your way in the dark (for anyone who has ever walked back to the car by headtorch), and reading the shape of the land in detail for confident moorland navigators.
Thinking about the Mountain Leader award?
Strong navigation is the backbone of the Mountain Leader award. If that's your goal, working through Silver and Gold, then practising on lots of quality hill days, is excellent preparation before your ML training.
Quick guide
- Never used a map? Start with the free online course, then Right Way in a Day or Bronze.
- Happy on paths, want to go off them? Silver.
- Confident off the path, want precision in any weather? Gold.
- Want to keep practising between courses? Try our Patreon navigation course for £3 a month.
For the bigger picture, read Learn to Navigate: From Our Free Online Course to the Hills. Still unsure? Call us on 01433 424164 and we'll point you to the right course.