Navigation skills training days, the Lake District, June 7th & 10th 2010

Kendal Mountaineering Services is pleased to announce that we are now accredited to run navigation skills training courses in the Lake District under the banner of the National Navigation Award Scheme.


There are three levels at which one can be assessed - bronze, silver and gold each providing pathways to encourage people to develop their navigation skills in stages. Each level is taught as a self contained unit. Your completion of a level is validated to a national standard and recognised by a badge & certificate. The bronze award is the easiest to obtain followed by the silver, both courses are run over a 2 day duration requiring a minimum of 12 hours contact time with the course provider. The NNAS Gold Award requires delegates to attend a two day training course and a separate assessment course of one day duration following a period of skills consolidation.


To find out more details about the National Navigtion Award Scheme through Kendal Mountaineering Services contact us at info@kendalmountaineeringservices.co.uk or call on 01539 737332/07761 483364



With regards to Navigation Skills training courses here in the Lake District, Iain has recently run two bespoke 1:1 events for two clients. Annika Hatfield booked a day for her husband Simon to be undertaken on Monday June 7th and Iain met the couple at Dockray in the Ullswater area of the Lake District.


Iain & Simon spent most of the day on Gowbarrow Fell which is an excellent place for all aspects of navigation practice and as is often the case, Iain discovered that Simon's skill set was better than Simon believed. By the end of the day Simon was confident at following bearings, identifying features from the ground to the map and navigating between contour features - not an easy thing to do. Well done Simon!

After two days of providing beginners climbing sessions at Shepherds Crag in Borrowdale in the heart of the Lake District, Iain was back in South Lakeland teaching another private client navigation skills in the Kentmere area.

Sandra Scott, recently retired, had taken up orienteering and running and wanted to improve her navigation skills set. Previously adept at reading maritime charts Sandra initially found reading a map, identifying features and reading contours a considerable challenge, but with Iains patient coaching improved massively during her first day out and whilst tired at the end of the day, was very pleased indeed with her achievements.

Sandra has yet to do one other day to come out with us and Iain looks forward to seeing further progression in the development of her navigation skill set.