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Navigating is one of the most important skills any walker, hiker or outdoor enthusiast can develop. It can keep you safe, enhance your outdoor experience and is tons of fun to learn, practice and perfect.

In this beginner’s guide, we discuss the importance of navigation skills before going on to explore a few top tips, techniques and navigation necessities.

Why are navigation skills important?

The obvious answer to this is that navigation skills prevent you from getting lost. But there are so many more reasons why you should develop your navigation techniques and ensure you are comfortable using them.

For instance, the more comfortable you are navigating, the less concentration and mental effort you have to invest to do it well. This is really important if you are leading a group, as it frees you up to focus on the individuals you are with and to dedicate time to making their experience enjoyable and achieving the group goals. Even if you are not leading a group, being able to work quickly and efficiently with your navigation tools lets you focus on the things you enjoy about hill and moorland walking, whether that is the wildlife and landscape or something like photography.

Of course, there is also a safety element. Being able to navigate well keeps you out of trouble and can help you get out of a tricky spot should things not go to plan.

Basic navigation techniques and necessities

1. Familiarise yourself with various maps

Though it may seem like the Ordnance Survey map is the only map you will ever use or need, that is not quite the case. There are plenty of different styles available, including Superwalker, British Mountain and Harvey maps, to name just a few. These maps can vary significantly, so it’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with as many as possible. Even the OS map series comes in several different forms. You need to know your OS Landranger from your Explorer!

2. Know your symbols and scales

As part of familiarising yourself with the maps, you need to make sure you can recognise and interpret the symbols used in them. The same goes for making sense of the different scales maps employ. The 1:25000 OS Explorer is pretty different from the 1:50000 Landranger.

While understanding the theoretical difference is important, you also need to know what this means in reality and how the change in scale practically impacts on navigation. A great way of doing so is buying (or borrowing from your local library) a map from each series and taking them out with you on a walk to get a feel for the distinction.

3. Map orientation

Now you are familiar with the maps, it is time to practise orientation. This is the act of matching up your map with the landscape. Begin by laying your map on a flat surface and use your compass to align the map’s north (usually at the top) with magnetic north on your compass.

Once you are comfortable with this, practise doing so on the move and with the map folded, so you can only see the part of the map you require. Orienting the map quickly makes a big difference to your ability to navigate quickly and efficiently on the move, so keep working on this technique.

4. Using landmarks

You will also need to be able to identify prominent landmarks, such as distinctive peaks, valleys and lakes, on your map and then translate those to the real environment. These landmarks will often serve as reference points to confirm your location and assist with finding the right path, route or bearing.

5. Grid references and distance

Understanding grid references enables you to communicate your location to others and locate specific points on the map more easily. It is essential if you get into trouble and need to request assistance but also comes in handy when working with guides and other reference materials that utilise six figure grid numbers to point you in the right direction.

Similarly, you should learn how to measure distance and use that to calculate how long it will take you to get from one point to another. The flip side of this is being able to measure the distance you have travelled on the ground by judging your pacing and keeping an accurate track of time passed.

6. Following bearings

Bearings are measured in degrees, using magnetic north as 0°. Due east is 90°, south is 180° and west is 270°. To follow a bearing, identify your location and destination on the map, place the compass on the map so that the edge connects the two points and twist the rotating compass housing so the red north arrow aligns with north on the map. You can now remove the compass and check what number the black direction of travel arrow is pointing at.

To follow this bearing, make sure the direction of travel arrow is aligned with your chosen bearing. Next, rotate your body until the compass’ north needle aligns with north on the compass housing. Throughout this process the compass should be held parallel with the ground and you should always rotate your body, not the compass. When you are confident you have your bearing, start walking by following the direction of travel arrow. Remember to take regular bearings from the map so you know you are travelling in the right direction.

Practicing these techniques

These techniques form the basis of all the navigation skills you will learn and use in the future. As such, you need to practice them as much as possible. With this in mind, we recommend taking the following into account.

• • Try different approaches – to be a competent navigator, you need to know when to use certain techniques. For instance, trying to navigate via landmarks isn’t going to work on featureless moorland. This means you need to work on all your skills and be comfortable using each of them.
• • Take a map out regularly – practicing in familiar environments, like when walking the dog or hiking a regular route, is a great way to hone your skills. It means you can practice without pressure and confirm your decisions using common sense and your existing knowledge of the terrain.
• • Take a course – If you are really interested in developing your skills or want to learn navigation to begin a career in the outdoor industry, we recommend taking a look at the Hill and Moorland Leader training and qualification. Accredited by Mountain Training and run by our team at RAW Adventures, it is a fantastic way to improve your navigation skills, become more comfortable in hill and moorland environments and advance your career.

To learn more about the Hill and Moorland Leader training or any of the other outdoor experiences we offer at RAW Adventures, don’t hesitate to reach out to our experienced team.