Outdoor Navigation skills are lacking. 2015 has been a very busy year for mountain rescue teams as they try to cope with increasing numbers of walkers going astray.

During the summer, the television news featured a number of articles about walkers and climbers getting into trouble in the Cumbrian Lake District due to their reliance on mobile devices.

Whilst it is incredibly handy to have your Ordnance Survey maps on your phone or tablet, they use a great deal of battery capacity and cannot really be seen in enough detail for safe navigation.

The scariest aspect of these interviews was the comment by the interviewee that “Using these electronic maps can cause your battery to run flat not allowing you to have the ability to call for help”.

He obviously was not from round these parts!  As anybody who lives in the Lake District will tell you….In most cases there will be no signal anyway.

The conclusion of these programmes was that most walkers did not know how to use a map and compass to navigate.

Learn to navigate
Cloud 9 Walking Holidays run Navigation and Hill Walking skills courses which aim to provide you with the confidence and skills required to be able to navigate in all weather conditions and even at night.

They cover a whole range of topics including understanding the map and interpreting contours, taking and following compass bearings, pacing and timing distance, use of GPS and mapping software and a range of basic hill skills that will come in handy if there’s ever an emergency or accident.

The weekend courses are suitable for beginners and those with a little experience, and they guarantee that it will boost your confidence and increase your skills and knowledge.

For more information, visit the Cloud 9 Walking Holidays website.