NNAS BRONZE AWARD

Beginner Navigation Skills course

This 2-day National Navigation Award Scheme (NNAS) Bronze Award is ideal for beginners and novices and will give you the key skills to safely and enjoyably walk in the countryside. With two days to learn, practice and consolidate, this course is your ‘passport to freedom’ for walking in the countryside.

Learning outcome – plan and follow your own walks in the countryside using paths, tracks and Rights of Way.

THE COMPLETE OUTDOOR SKILLS COURSE

• Learn new outdoor skills
• Be more confident outdoors
• Learn to read a map and use a compass
• Move from passively following a phone app to actively navigating
• Know how GPS / mapping apps back up your map & compass
• Increase your enjoyment of the countryside
• Plan your own walks and not rely on others
• Navigation strategies & decision making
• Accurate distance estimation (visual, timing, pacing)
• Understand and visualise contours
• Stay safe on the hills
• Explore more and visit new areas
• Leave feeling inspired and ready to do more!
• Gain a National Award (NNAS)

Our NNAS Bronze course will give you the skills you need to stride out with confidence and enhance your enjoyment of walking in the countryside using Rights of Way. From route planning and weather forecasts to detailed map work and navigation strategies, this NNAS Bronze course provides the key foundations and building blocks for good navigation and hill skills, giving you the confidence and knowledge to plan and follow your own walks in the countryside.

Learning is informal and relaxed, with plenty of practical experience out in the Yorkshire Dales countryside, within a small group of up to 8 people. We cover around 6 to 8 miles each day, following paths across farmland, valleys, riversides, woodland, hills and moorland. This course includes both training and assessment of the Bronze Award, delivered over the 2 days. NNAS Bronze Award course syllabus

Our courses are based at these Yorkshire Dales villages

Grassington, Wharfedale
Hawes, Wensleydale
Malham, Malhamdale
Reeth, Swaledale

TESTIMONIALS

“Attending the NNAS & compass skills courses provided me with the skills, knowledge and confidence to enable me to fulfil my dream of walking the Pennine Way.” Catherine McDonnell

“I am so glad I decided to take the NNAS bronze course. I learnt a huge amount and it has massively boosted both my confidence and my enthusiasm. Quite apart from all that, Mark is an excellent walking companion with interesting views on any subject you care to throw at him.” Nikki Duffy

“The navigation was incredibly well taught, with our skills being repeatedly put into practice to reinforce them. I also found Mark’s local knowledge of the area we walked in and the advice and information we were given about keeping ourselves safe on the moors great.” A. Davies

“Just wanted to say how much we enjoyed the weekend! We both learned a great deal and will be much more confident to try out more adventurous routes in the future. Thanks very much for your expert knowledge and sympathetic tutoring.” A. Bryan

PRE-COURSE

6 Video Tutorials – unlimited access to our six online video tutorials. Watching these videos before the course will allow us more practical time outdoors.

• Weather Forecasts & Conditions
• Route Planning (maps & digital)
• Essential Kit & Looking after Yourself
• Understanding OS Maps & Symbols
• Practical Map Reading (filmed at Grassington, Yorkshire Dales)
• Navigation Strategies

DAY ONE

9:30am: Meet at a village car park in the Yorkshire Dales (with facilities).
9:30am – 4:30pm: Full day’s map, compass and navigation training in the Yorkshire Dales with Mark Reid. The walk will usually cover around 6 miles over the day, with plenty of rest stops and time to practice skills and ask questions.
4:30pm – 5pm: De-brief back at the village.
Evening: Route planning exercise.

DAY TWO

9:30am: Meet at a village car park in the Yorkshire Dales (with facilities). Summary of learning objectives, and areas to focus on during the day.
9:30am – 4:30pm: Full day’s walk in the Yorkshire Dales, with each person navigating a leg of the route. The walk will usually cover around 6 miles over the day, with plenty of rest stops and learning opportunities.
4:30pm – 5pm: Course feedback and results.

Upon successful completion you will receive a NNAS Bronze Award.