Morning: The basics 

9.00 - 11.30 (8.30-11 for the Nov dates)

We will start the morning at Shipham village hall with some basic theory.

• Explore what 'navigation' actually is, looking at ways you navigate in your every day life and transferring those techniques over to being outdoors
• Understand how a map is made and what it is communicating
• Understand the different map scales and what they can be used for
• Start to learn some of the visual language to help you read an OS map
• Discuss what features are most reliable
• Explore contour lines and how they might look in real life
• Learn a few reliable techniques for following a route and figuring out where you are on the map. 

Afternoon: Practical

12.00 - 17.00 (11.30 - 16.30 for the Nov dates)

We will spend the afternoon out hiking around the Mendip hills working in pairs to put the theory into practice. In our pairs will take it in turns to lead the group to a point on the map whilst the rest of the group relocates and tries to find where we are on the map. 

Putting things into practice can feel scary (especially if you are a perfectionist!) so we will also work on mindset practices to be ok with making mistakes and getting things wrong - after all this is the best way to learn! 

The course is a judgement-free space, with the focus on learning the skills and techniques which work best for you. 

We will hike about 9km distance and 300m elevation on day one. 

Morning: Route planning, timings and using a compass

9.00 - 11.30 (8.30 - 11.00 for the Nov dates)

We will start the morning at Shipham village hall with some theory.

• Refresh what we learnt on day one
• How to plan a route using a map and the OS app
• Discuss when we might need to use a compass and what it can be used for
• Learn how to work out the timings of a route or section 
• Understand what 'taking a bearing' means
• Learn the technique of taking a bearing with a map and compass
• Talk more about contour features in greater detail
• Discussing real life situations and when different navigation techniques would work best

Afternoon: Practical

12.00 - 17.00 (11.30 - 16.30 for the Nov dates)

We will drive over to The Swan Inn pub and park our cars there for the start of our second hike. 

We will spend the afternoon out hiking around the Mendip hills working in pairs to put the theory into practice. In our pairs will take it in turns to lead the group to a point on the map whilst the rest of the group relocates and tries to find where we are on the map. 

We will also practice timings and taking a bearing with a compass in situ. 

Putting things into practice can feel scary (especially if you are a perfectionist!) so we will also work on mindset practices to be ok with making mistakes and getting things wrong - after all this is the best way to learn! 

The course is a judgement-free space, with the focus on learning the skills and techniques which work best for you. 

We will hike around 10km distance and 290m elevation on day two.