Night navigation courses in Scotland

Low-visibility conditions don’t only occur at night, but can occur during daytime, too, and all year round. For example:

• Fog
• Low clouds on higher terrain
• Dense snowfall in winter (whiteout conditions)

Only relying on your phone in conditions like those might not be enough. You would have to keep your eyes on the phone constantly to check if you’re walking in the right direction. This doesn’t only drain your phone’s battery quickly, but can also be dangerous. While looking on your phone, you pay less attention to the ground, which can increase the risk for a stumble and injuring yourself. You also walk more slowly when you have your eyes glued to the screen, and you might not enjoy the experience of walking in low-visibility conditions because it makes you feel uneasy.

In order to enjoy being in the hills even when the visibility is low, and to navigate the terrain efficiently and safely, a solid understanding of navigating with a map and a compass is essential. On a night navigation course, we will have a closer look at navigation techniques that are suitable for navigating in all kinds of low-visibility scenarios.

What you will learn on a night navigation course

Although not necessary, but highly recommended, is an introductory navigation course prior to a night navigation course.
There you will learn and practice the absolute basics of navigation: setting the map, taking and walking on bearings, pacing and timing. This knowledge will give you a head start, and you will get the most out of the course.

Here’s what we will cover on my night navigation courses:

• Refreshing the basics
• Identifying reliable features
• Working with the shape of the terrain
• Trusting the compass
• Staying on a bearing while walking
• Planning efficient and safe navigation legs
• Gathering clues when relocating
• Pacing & timing and their limitations
• Using the head torch efficiently

Participant Reviews