Basic Navigation Course

Effective route finding is an important part of reaching a backcountry destination and returning home safely. This course promotes the active participation of all party members in backcountry navigation and teaches the skills necessary to do so.

It is a full-day class that includes lectures, indoor exercises, and outdoor practice. In addition to map, compass, altimeter-and how to use them together, we cover route planning, terrain awareness, and other reasoning skills for finding your way on and off the trail.

This class satisfies the navigation requirement for the Basic Climbing and Alpine Scrambles Courses offered by all Mountaineer branches. While the course is targeted to those audiences, the skills taught are useful for many kinds of outdoor activities.