Orienteering and Navigation Courses

The ability to use maps to guide us through our surroundings is as old as civilisation itself with early, rudimentary maps found in cave paintings dating as far back as 25,000 BC. In the Lake District, the ability to use a map and a compass can save your life. It can prevent you from becoming stranded on the fells with no way of knowing how to get back to your starting point. Mountain Rescue Teams respond to hundreds of calls each year from lost walkers, and sadly, a small handful do end with a fatality.

Map reading, or navigation, therefore, is a vital skill, and one that can be learned through courses offered in the Lake District. Orienteering uses these skills in a fun and challenging way. Participants are given a map with a number of points marked on it. Using their map reading skills participants must visit each of these points and, in competitive orienteering, the aim is to be the fastest person or group around the course.

What Orienteering and Navigation Courses Involve

For a typical navigation course, you can expect to receive some in depth tuition on how to read an Ordnance Survey map with topics covered, such as map scales, contour lines, and how to use a compass in conjunction with your map. Some courses will also cover using GPS units, such as a smartphone or a standalone unit to help you navigate. You then may be taken on a route that will test your new skills.

For orienteering, you are given a map of the course and have to visit each point on the map. You will need to find the “control” which marks the point that you are looking for. It could be an item to collect, a symbol, a clue to a puzzle, or a letter that forms part of a word you need to spell. The aim is to complete the course by visiting all of the controls in the fastest time possible.

What to Wear and Bring

You will need to wear weather appropriate clothing, including waterproofs, and a sturdy pair of shoes. Walking boots or trainers with good ankle support are best. Flip-flops or heels will simply leave you with sore feet. Layers are ideal so that you can add or takeaway as required.

You will need a map and compass, though these may be provided by your course organiser. You will also need to pack some food and water, ensuring you have plenty to last you the day. Although you may be learning to navigate without GPS, a fully charged mobile phone will ensure you have a way of calling for help if required. A whistle is also useful if you get lost, as it can alert search parties to your whereabouts, whilst a torch will provide you with light should you get stranded in the dark.

Where to Find a Navigation Course in the Lake District

There are a number of activity companies offering navigation courses in the Lake District. These courses will provide you with the skills needed to both navigate the fells and complete an orienteering course:

Where to Find an Orienteering Course in the Lake District

Once you have some navigation skills, then you can try out an orienteering course. There are orienteering clubs in the Lake District with many offering sessions that are open to visitors and beginners. You can search for planned events with clubs on the official British Orienteering site.

In addition, there are orienteering courses available around the Lake District. Some are permanent and independently led with maps either available to download online, or to buy at the start point of the course. Others are available through private activity companies, as listed below.