Skill Level Required: Intermediate, Veteran

(we recommend attending our ‘Introduction to Navigation‘ or ‘NNAS Bronze Award‘ course before this course if you are a beginner)

Course Fee: £50.00

Locations: Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Oxfordshire

Course dates and booking: click here

FAQs

The night brings an entirely different life to the world and transforms your surroundings often beyond recognition. Your imagination runs wild and those natural instincts start to spark up and ignite inside you. It’s all very enjoyable and rewarding until you’re caught out, unprepared, on the hills and your visibility is reduced to no further than your torchlight.

Course Information

Course Cost: £50.00 per person

Your walking should not be limited to just the daylight hours, especially when the night brings an entirely different beauty to your chosen environment. The ‘Night Owl’ course will enable you to relax and find comfort in the darkness, equipping you with the necessary skills to allow you a smooth transit across the land with little to no visibility.

The skills you will learn on this course will also apply to those days when the mist, fog and snow come creeping in unexpected during your walk on the hills. We’ll also look at the equipment you should use to help you and how to use them properly.

The course is for you if you are already a fairly competent navigator and want that extra confidence in your ability to cope with a number of challenges.

Course Dates

Have a look over here for the list of course dates and times. Be aware that start times for this course will vary depending on the season. The winter course will obviously start much earlier than the summer course due to being a late evening course.

Of course, if there are no dates that suit your availability, get in touch with us and we can arrange a custom evening that suits you.

What will we do?

• Navigation at night theory – equipment and preparation
• Navigation in darkness
• Torches and their many uses
• Bearings and pacing
• ‘Micro-nav’

What do you need?

Warm and waterproof clothing

• Gloves and a hat
• Food and drink
• Personal first aid kit
• Torch/s and spare batteries
• Notebook

If you have your own 1:25000 maps of the area and a good expedition style compass, please bring those along, otherwise we can lend you some spares for the evening.

Questions & Answers

full terms and conditions found here

How long is the course?

‘The Night Owl’ course is done in a single evening. Times vary and are listed with the dates on the booking page. Times will be confirmed closer to the time due to weather and light conditions.

You should be prepared for a slightly later finish in the summer at approximately 23:00, but we aim to be done by 22:00.

What happens when I book a place?

To book a spot, you need to get in touch using the enquiry form 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

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

You should already be fairly competent with your navigation skills. It’s not entirely necessary, but I would recommend looking at the skillset on the ‘Beyond Basics’ course. If you are able to perform the majority of those skills, this course will suit you.

Can I do it by myself?

The courses are done in groups of 5 with a minimum of 2. We can arrange 1:1 session for you at a slightly higher fee if you want dedicated tuition time.

Can I do it in a group?

Of course, group bookings are available and can be organised directly by getting in touch 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.

Do I get a certificate at the end of the course?

You certainly do have the option to receive a certificate for attending ‘The Night Owl’ course. This isn’t an official recognised qualification though.

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

If you have competent pre-existing navigation skills but you want to boost your confidence and ability to navigate in darkness or low visibility, then this is for you. You will no longer be restricted to fair weather walking during daylight hours!

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 Night Owl’ course. It will involve plenty of walking over a variety of terrains in all weathers in low visibility. You should be able to comfortably walk several miles over the period of 4 hours – you do not need to be a marathon runner!