Skill Level Required: Intermediate, Experienced

Course Fee: £55.00

Locations: Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Oxfordshire

Course dates and booking: click here

FAQS

Do you already know the basic skills required to get from A to B with a map and compass but want hone in those finer details? Do you still lack confidence in your skills to get outside and lead the way?

Come along to our Beyond Basics Navigation Course and develop your skills. This course will help you understand exactly what you’re looking at when you compare the 2D map to the 3D world and how to use it to efficiently plan your journey.

Boost your confidence, reduce that worry and get outside!

Course Information

Course Cost: £55.00 per person

This intermediate navigation course is a full day practical course with the aim of providing you with all the intermediate skills and knowledge to help you explore the great outdoors of the UK and beyond!

This course is ideal for those who have basic knowledge of navigation and want to develop and build on it. Beyond Basics helps you contextualize the shape of the landscape and terrain to assist with your navigation.

The courses are located across a variety of areas, encompassing Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. These counties are the perfect living classrooms and playgrounds to learn and practice the basic essentials, setting you up to explore the rest of the UK in confidence. There will be an element of theory covered in the morning, refreshing the basics in detail, and then we’ll soon be off to explore the area on foot.

CLICK HERE TO FIND THE NEXT AVAILABLE COURSE AND TO GET BOOKED ON

Course Syllabus Overview

By the end of the course, we expect that you will be able to:

• 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.
• Deviate briefly from a compass bearing to avoid obstacles or difficult terrain and accurately regain the original line.
• 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.

If that all sounds very daunting and scary, don’t worry! We are very friendly and approachable and will happily go over things with you time and time again until you feel totally happy and confident.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the course?

The Intermediate Course is one full day starting at 09:30 and finishing at 17:00

Are there toilets nearby?

Not necessarily. We will always start and finish near toilet facilities but when we are walking on the route or having lunch, we may not be near any toilets. We recommend using a really nice bush – especially if it’s got a great panoramic view!

What should I bring?

It is highly recommended that you bring with you:

• Basic outdoor walking gear (including good waterproof jacket and trousers)
• Comfortable worn in walking boots or walking shoes
• At least 1L of water for each day and a packed lunch and snacks for the trail
• Suitable clothing for the weather: warm layers, spares, woolly hat/sun hat, gloves, sunglasses
• We provide maps and compasses for you use during the course but if you have your own, then bring them along.

Jeans, wellington boots and heels are not suitable.

We reserve the right to refuse to allow you to continue with the course if you are not prepared properly. If you have any questions at all about what you should bring or if it is suitable, please ask before attending the course.

Is there somewhere I can heat my lunch up?

No. Bring a cold packed lunch and do not rely on being able to buy food at lunch time. We could well be eating out lunch in the woods, in a field or on a hill.

What do I need to know before I attend your course?

You should attend this course with a good solid base knowledge of navigation. You should be at competent with bearings, pacing and timing – we will refresh these skills at the beginning of the day.

It would be helpful if you refreshed yourself with the Countryside Code. This will be discussed during the course too.

There is a great selection of books to look at too if you wanted to, we highly recommend ‘The Ultimate Navigation Manual’ by Lyle Brotherton.

YouTube is also a fantastic resource for looking up navigation skills. Steve Backshall has done a handful of videos for Ordnance Survey and you can find them here

Can I do it by myself?

You can do this course by yourself or bring some friends along but they must be booked onto the course as well.

Can I do it in a group?

Group bookings are available and can be organised directly through intothesticks@hotmail.com.

Can I bring children?

Sorry, but we do ask that you leave children at home.

Can I bring a dog?

We absolutely love dogs at intothesticks.life, however some of the course locations do not, so unfortunately we ask that dogs are left at home too.

How do I know if it’s the right course for me?

If you want the confidence in your ability to navigate away from the marked paths and tracks, find really small features on the map and become accurate with your navigation whilst being able to recognise features in your surroundings with a map and compass, then this is for you. You will learn skills that enable you to get outside and away from paths and trails!

How fit do I need to be? How far will we be walking?

A moderate level of fitness is all that’s required for the intermediate course. The course is done on foot and it will involve plenty of walking over a variety of terrains in all weathers. You should be able to comfortably walk approximately ten miles (15km) over the day – you do not need to be a marathon runner!

If the course is fully booked, to give everybody a fair chance to learn the skills and lead the group, you should expect to be walking no more than 10 miles over approximately 6 or 7 hours. It is a nice gentle pace and certainly not a run!

What happens when I book a place?

To book a spot, you need to get in touch using the methods over here. From there we will make sure your course of choice is definitely available before we confirm availability and arrange payment. Once payment is received you will be officially placed on that course and you will receive a confirmation email with further details about the weekend and what you will need to bring.

What happens if I cancel my booking after paying?

Depending on the notice you give us, we will arrange a refund for you. Please be aware that the percentage of the refund depends on the notice we receive.

3 weeks before course: 100% refund

2 weeks before course: 50% refund

1 week or less before course: 0% refund