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Mountains Skills
  • Home
  • Skills Courses
    • Hill Skills
    • Mountain Skills
    • Winter Skills
    • Map Reading Navigation
    • Climbing Skills
  • Guided Adventures
  • Gift Vouchers
  • Resources
  • About Us
    • #TeamMST
    • Quality and Safety
    • More Than Mountains
  • Contact Us

Map Reading and Navigation Courses

Mountain Navigation Introduction

NNAS Silver Navigator Award Training And Assessment - 2 Days

Silver Navigator Award Overview

The Silver National Navigation Award develops navigation skills needed for the mountain environment. You'll learn how to navigate to features and places away from paths and tracks. It teaches accurate compass work and poor weather navigation techniques. It will also teach you to select the suitable navigational techniques to cross open country for walking and hiking.


Our Silver National Navigation Award courses are taught in mountainous terrain and involve periods where you’ll be navigating away from established paths and tracks.


Silver Navigator Award Syllabus 

  • 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.
  • Use a compass to: Accurately follow a bearing; aim off; check the direction of handrails and other linear features.
  • Deviate briefly from a compass bearing to avoid obstacles or difficult terrain and accurately regain the original line.
  • Use back bearings to check route following accuracy.
  • 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.
  • Recognise dangerous or difficult terrain on map and ground.
  • Plan and implement navigational strategies based on the above skills.
  • Maintain route finding accuracy in poor visibility or darkness.
  • Recognise a navigation error within a few minutes and apply appropriate relocation techniques.
  • Understand how personal fitness and nature of terrain affect route choice both at the planning stage and on the ground.
  • Understand the potential consequences of fatigue and physical discomfort in demanding terrain and/or extreme weather conditions.
  • Select appropriate clothing, equipment and first aid items for walking in open country in all weather conditions.
  • Demonstrate  an understanding of the Countryside Code, current access legislation  and the environmental impact of walkers on the countryside.
  • Understand the responsibilities of walkers towards other countryside interests such as farming, forestry and conservation.

 

Who is the Silver Navigator Award for? 

This award is aimed at people with little or no navigation experience who want to be independent in the mountains.  You do not need to complete the NNAS Bronze navigation course first.


​A general level of fitness is required for a days walking in upland and mountainous terrain.

£155 Per Person

The following kit is available to hire:

  • Silva Expedition 4 Compass
  • OS Explorer Map
  • Waterproof Map Case

 

Our courses run at the following locations:

  • Lake District - we meet at Borrowdale YHA each day.
  • Cairngorms - we meet at Cairngorm Ski Centre each day.


Course Booking

  • Instructor ratio 1:8
  • Minimum of 3 for course to run  
  • Minimum age 18yrs 

Book Now

Upcoming Courses

Walkers learning how to take compass bearing using map and compass on a NNAS mountain skills course

Course Dates and Booking

Cairngorms - BOOK NOW


Lake District - BOOK NOW


Reviews

We're the official provider for NNAS

The National Navigation Award Scheme (NNAS) is a personal performance,  non-competitive, incentive scheme for all   ages to learn navigation skills and gain confidence to get out and  enjoy the countryside.


https://nnas.org.uk/

National Navigation Award Scheme

National Navigation Award Scheme

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Mountain Skills Training Ltd.

Morpeth | Northumberland | NE65 9DB

07740 369849

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