Hillwalking Courses in the

Lake-District, Howgills & France

Introduction to Hillwalking - Lakes

We came up with the idea for this short course with our friends at Walkingworld in summer 2007, developed it over a few months and then tested it over three weekends in November 2007 with over 60 participants. The feedback we received confirmed that we had got the basic formula right, so we have made a few tweaks and now our Introduction to Hillwalking is ready for you to join!

 

Who should come on this course?

If you have travelled to areas like Snowdonia, the Lake District or the Highlands of Scotland and looked up at the hills and thought “I wish I had the confidence to go up there”, then this course is for you. Maybe you have been happy to venture up a well-trodden track on a bright summer’s day, but now want to explore ‘off the beaten track’, and get away from the crowds, perhaps when the weather is not quite so good. Basically if you want to go higher and wilder than you have ever been before, then this course will give you a solid grounding in the essential skills for navigating and being safe in upland areas of the UK and abroad.

What does it cover?

We firmly believe that there is no single correct way to navigate your way around the hills. Every situation calls for a different approach and you may or may not have the backup of a GPS device. So our aim is to give you a portfolio of effective techniques - using the map on its own, using the map in conjunction with a compass, and using a GPS if you have one. The bulk of the course takes place ‘on the hill’ so you will practice these techniques and learn how and when to apply them in real situations. Then, to squeeze as much into the short time we have, we combine this with small group sessions ‘back at base’ looking at preparation and planning, using both paper maps and digital mapping applications, equipment and clothing, and what to do in an emergency.

What will you be doing?

People learn best by doing. So you will spend the weekend in a small group, probably of six or seven, with an experienced tutor. On the evening of your arrival a short session will cover the essentials of map and compass navigation and the equipment and clothing you need for the following day. The next day you and your group will be out ‘on the hill’ practising those skills and learning the basics of using a GPS (you will be supplied with map, compass and GPS if you don’t have ones of your own). That evening (after a rest and a good meal) we will look back over the day, cover any issues raised and then plan the next day using both a paper map and a digital mapping application. Out on the hill again the next day you and your group will execute the route you have planned, this time with you making more of the decisions, but always under the guidance of your tutor. Back in time for tea and biscuits, we will once again debrief and follow up any questions you may have. On two day courses this will be the end of the course, but if you have opted for further days we will organise groups to go out on their own, help with the planning and discuss any issues when you get back.

What navigation skills will you learn?

The key skills for navigating in the hills are map reading, compass navigation and GPS – very definitely in that order. This is not an advanced GPS course and we wouldn’t expect you necessarily to want to buy or use a GPS when you go on your own hill-walking outings.

What we will show you is how to:

  • interpret the map and relate it to your surroundings
  • work out where you are using the map alone, using a compass, or with a GPS
  • make decisions about where to go using a variety of map and compass and GPS techniques
  • know what to expect as you walk and estimate how long sections of the route should take
  • retrace your steps or follow an escape route

As far as GPS is concerned, we will demonstrate its benefits as a simple backup system to traditional navigation (as indeed it is used by the vast majority of experienced hill-walkers). Whether you decide to buy a GPS or learn more advanced techniques on a further course is entirely up to you.

Will it be hard work?

Yes, you will learn a lot and the outings will be fairly physically demanding, because it is so much more effective to learn in a real situation than in a classroom or on a flat field. But it will also be good fun. We have picked places to stay and eat where you will be well looked after. We know that your tutors and hosts are congenial and we trust that your fellow participants will be too!

French Alps

In June you can travel a bit further afield to learn the same skills and put them into practice in a glorious region of the French Alps. This is the standard two day hillwalking course combined with five days holiday, staying in a luxury catered chalet in Morzine. Morzine sits at the head of the Aulps valley which runs south from Lac Leman (Lake Geneva) into the well known Portes du Soleil ski area. The fee includes accommodation on a shared twin/double basis, breakfast, packed lunch, evening meal in the chalet on six evenings, and transfers to and from Geneva airport. Your chalet hosts are Lisa and Jonathan of Alpine Days and the Chalet Guytaune is beautiful and convivial place to stay - the free wine with the evening meal always helps!

 

Please note that although this is in a high alpine region and you will be able to scale some peaks, this is not a mountaineering course, so there will be no ropes and ice-axes! The walking itself will be no more difficult than that encountered on our Lake District courses. One option, on the evening the chalet staff take off, will be to spend the night at one of the area’s higher level huts. The hut fee and evening meal will be additional if you choose to do this.