Navigation for the WGL leader - what you need
to understand!
Obviously
navigation is at the core of being a walking group leader.
You can expect to spend the majority of your time on
assessment either leading a leg - navigating to a point
and looking after the group while you do so, or trailing
a leg - keeping up your position fix while someone else
leads the leg.
You
can be sure that your assessor will ask you to identify
your position at various times, whether 'in charge or
the group' or trailing, so developing your ability to
'thumb
the map' is a great skill to master.
It
is quite common for the assessor to give a navigation
task to one candidate and then give them some space to
think it through. Often this is an opportunity to task
the other delegates on assessment with some small navigation
task, such as picking out features from the ground and
identifying them on the map or vice versa. Working out
the timings for a leg etc.
You
will also be expected to swap map scales, and indeed
walk without the map and then relocate, so building up
your ground to map awareness is important.
Navigation
is both a science and an art. you can learn the techniques,
but it is blending and interpreting all the available
information sources that is the real art. Certainly,
you will need
to be very
confident
at
relating contours to ground shape, this is because the
terrain within scope for the walking group leader tends
to be more rounded and featureless than mountain navigation.
In this sense, while technically the navigation standard
is the same as for ML, in practice the navigation can
often be more demanding.
You
should not be penalised for making an error, however,
you will be expected to spot the error and identify corrective
action to recover your position. A good assessor will
give you time and space to do this - we all make mistakes!
However, constant inaccuracy or excessive dithering will
begin
to put doubts
in your
assessor's mind about your confidence and ability.
Also,
you need to be self sufficient - it is very common for
candidates on assessment to ask other members of the
group to count paces, or keep an eye on time. You assessor
will expect you to be able to do all this in dependant
of your group, while navigating and looking after the
group.
Think
of your navigation as a series of decisions that as a
walking group leader you make. Get used to gathering
all the available information to help you make
wise decisions. Use the map, the ground around you and
combine your analysis with the 'story of the journey'
to inform your decision making. Above
all remember that the map may well be wrong, particularly
with man made features, so learn to use the natural shape
of the land as the base line for gathering information
and decision making.
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Here's
what the prospectus has to say about navigation...
Walking
& Route Finding
Candidates Navigation
is a fundamental skill for the walking group leader. The candidate's
ability as a navigator should allow them to be flexible in their
plans and react to changing conditions. Their navigation should
be such that they can not only navigate efficiently, accurately
and confidently, but also will be able to look after their group,
avoid hazards and make the journey interesting. Candidates should
be aware of how they might introduce the basic skills of navigation
to others.
When
preparing for the award candidates should attempt to gain as
much experience as possible in navigating across unfamiliar,
non mountainous upland terrain. The greater the variety of terrain
encountered, the greater the benefit in terms of route choice.
Candidates should be aware that moorland terrain is quite different
from mountainous terrain.
Navigation
involves a range of skills as outlined in the syllabus. Rarely
will all these skills be required on any single navigation leg.
Therefore a large part of the skill of the navigator is the choice
of an appropriate technique. For example, walking on a bearing
in good visibility while on a defined terrain feature would be
inappropriate; orientation of the map to the ground would be
the more suitable technique. Conversely, trying to use the map
alone across a featureless plateaux in poor visibility may cause
the leader to become disorientated and here the techniques of
walking on a bearing and using timing to estimate distance would
be more appropriate. The efficient navigator will adapt the
technique to the terrain, the prevailing conditions and the group.
The wider and more varied their hill walking experience, the
better equipped the candidate will be to make these decisions.
Assessors The
assessor should structure the tasks to ensure that all relevant
navigation techniques are seen. Navigation will be assessed throughout
the course so assessors can usually afford to settle candidates
by initially setting simple navigation tasks. Assessors need
to be certain that any errors are through lack of ability rather
than 'exam nerves' or their own failure to communicate clearly.
Very careful and precise briefing of the candidate concerning
what is being asked of them is essential. The other candidates
must also be briefed about their role while someone else is leading
the route.
Candidates
should be given time to demonstrate their level of navigation
ability to the assessor. They should be allowed to complete any
task to the best of their ability and not be pressured into making
quick decisions and mistakes. Candidates should be give the opportunity
to demonstrate their ability and to adopt the appropriate techniques
for the situation. The assessor should look at the tasks set
from the viewpoint of someone navigating over unfamiliar ground
in
a stressful situation. A balance must be struck between micro-navigation,
often assessed in the moorland situation and the broader style
of navigation used when following a path or defined feature.
Micro-navigation can allow a large number of comparable legs
to be set in a relatively short time. In all cases the elements
of party management and group leadership should not be neglected.
Visibility
will obviously influence the type of navigation tasks set and
assessors must satisfy themselves that candidates can navigate
in the full range of weather conditions. When the weather is
good more accurate navigation can be expected to compensate for
the lack of poor visibility. At these times night navigation
may well be required although this is no guarantee of poor visibility.
In these situations the skill of the assessor in selecting the
appropriate terrain and setting suitable tasks is vital to the
success of the assessment. Every navigation task set should help
the assessor to draw relevant conclusions about the candidate.
Candidates
who make a simple mistake should be given time to resolve the
situation. The ability to identify and correct an error is both
an essential skill for a walking group leader and an informative
process for the assessor. Candidates should be able to navigate
with map and compass alone; however if candidates choose to carry
navigation aids such as GPS, altimeter or other similar equipment,
their ability to use them may be examined as an additional training
element. Assessors should also discuss how these basic skills
of navigation might be introduced to others.
This
section of the web site is not designed to be a technical navigation
course. for information on the techniques of navigating, I refer
you to my two favourite sources:
Mountain
Navigation
By Peter Cliff
ISBN 1-87 1890-55-1
An
excellent navigation text that has been used by generations
of Mountaineers to learn the craft! Very readable - try
Amazon or ebay!
|
Hillwalking
The official handbook of the Mountain Leader & Walking Group Leader
Schemes
by
Steve Long
Published by: Mountain Leader Training UK
ISBN 0-9541511-0-0
Click
on the image to visit the MLTUK on line store - please
buy direct from them, so they get all the cash!
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Rather
I want to use this section to focus you on what you can expect
from an assessment and therefore 'where the bar is' for your
navigation experience.
Back
to the official syllabus:
Competence
as a navigator is a basic requirement for any walking group leader.
They will have the ability to choose from a wide
range of techniques and select those that are appropriate to
the
conditions. These techniques include:
use
of relevant maps; their scales, conventional signs, grid references,
contours and other methods of showing relief.
identification of topographical features, relating the map
to the ground and vice versa.
measurement of distance on the map and the ground.
identification of position by various methods of relocation.
navigation across country by various methods in poor visibility
and/or in darkness. This will include the use of a compass,
the use of a map alone and an awareness of other navigational
aids.
route planning, including methods of recording routes.
use
of relevant maps; their scales, conventional signs, grid references,
contours and other methods of showing relief
You
will really want to know how a map works and what information
you can draw from it. Don't worry too much about the different
symbols for the various church types etc - all that info is on
the legend anyway. The areas to concentrate on are those applicable
to navigating in remote areas:
Contours
- really get to know how contours relate to topography. What
is the contour intervals on the common 1:50k and 1:25k OS maps?
How do you pull out the shape of the terrain from the information
on the map? Where are contour lines 'not shown' on 1:50k - on
very steep ground
they
merge!
etc. Both 1:50k and 1:25k (in upland areas) use the 10m contour
level
- that's quite a height difference and allows plenty of scope
for small mounds and features that would not show up on the map,
so really it's about your interpretive skills and you can only
develop these in the field, by spending time working with the
maps and the ground features.
Time
sitting on a hill side studying the maps and looking at the terrain
is an investment well worth making and I mean really study the
map. Use the compass magnifying glass and get right into the
small detail of the contour information and relate it to the
terrain around you. Get used to seeing shape on the map and the
ground and relating one to the other. Understand the difference
between the different scale maps by using them both together
to study the same hill side. Get used to comparing heights -
given
where you are what should be
higher
/ lower than
you.
Remember
you need to be able to pull out tiny, micro detail about the
shape, slope aspect and steepness of the terrain immediately
around you, but you also need to be able to look to the horizon,
see
the intervening hill features and pick out the corresponding
spurs, valleys, ridges and peaks on any map.
Of
all the tools and information sources you have to navigate with
contours are the base line and most reliable, so invest plenty
of time to learn how to use them well.
Rights
of way - understand how different rights of way are marked on
the maps and what that actually means - for example a right of
way does not guarantee a path on the ground and there are plenty
of paths on the ground that either are not marked or are marked
but are not rights of way!
Access
and territory boundaries - following the CROW act 2000. Ordnance
survey maps are now being updated with access information, so
you need
to understand the symbols, boundaries and what it all means.
you will be asked about access and how you know you have permission
to be in an area, so learn how to extract the information from
up to date maps.
Boundary
features - on a 1:25k there are allot of boundary features marked.
They don't tell you the difference between them, so one might
be a slight impression from and old wall on the ground, the next
could be a stone wall and the third a wire fence. Again practical
experience of finding these feature on the ground will help you
develop skill in using them. However, boundaries are a very useful
navigation aid, particularly on the 1:25k maps, so plenty of
practice here.
Mapping
scales - understanding and being able to use distance is important.
On a 1:50k map 2cm equals 1000m or 2mm equals 100m on a 1:25k
map 2mm equals 50m. You
need to be able to measure distance accurately as you will need
to use that information for working out leg timings, so being
very familiar with measurement and distance is critical. Conversely,
you will also need to be able to measure off say five km on the
map and know what that looks like as you look across the terrain,
so you can identify middle and far distance features. Do you
know what area a blue grid square on 1:50k map measures? Is it
the same or different on a 1:25K map? You ned to know!
In
short, focus on the types of information that are relevant and
useful for moorland and upland navigation. for example..
Knowing
the difference between outcrop symbols and cliff symbols and
where the edge of the drop really is on the map, might be a useful
distinction to have.
identification
of topographical features, relating the map to the ground and
vice versa
The
core skill for any navigator and the absolute bed rock of your
trade as a walking group leader is working with map and ground
together.
You
will need to build skill using both 1:50k and 1:25k maps - the
interpretations skills are very different for each so practice
with both.
The
ability to comfortably pull information off the ground and relate
it to the map is critical. There is no short cut to time on the
ground doing it.
You
need a defined process for working out where you have arrived
(relocating). There is no right or wrong way just a method that
works for you, as a base line consider variations on the following:
1.
Orientate your map to your current position (either compass or
just off the features)
2.
Scan the immediate features and relate them to your estimated
map position
3.
Review your 'story of the journey' and see if it fits
4.
Re scan the immediate features looking for topography / features
that confirm you position
5.
Now do the "If I'm here then the ground should be..." In other
words pick detail off the map and check to see if the reality
on the ground matches it. Don't fool yourself here - this is
an aspect that inexperienced navigators often miss or dismiss.
6.
Move around! Walk to local high ground, search around the corner
etc. take your time to get the best view, moving a few meters
while your group has a rest can provide you with massive amounts
of fresh information.
7.
Get your compass out if needed and start to look at further
off features for resection (last resort).
At
a micro-navigation level, you will use features on the
ground to
confirm and or
dispute
your
considered
position
on
the map
- here the careful use of ground shape in your immediate
vicinity combined with your recollection of the terrain you
have just
traversed 'telling the story of the route' are primary
tools. The ability
to look on the map and say "if I am here then..."
The
red path indicated the 'story of the journey' or the leg we have
just walked - the little voice in your head might describe it
as...
"We
we walked due east on 093' magnetic for five
hundred meters. During that time we climbed steadily
up the crest
of a rounded
spur with the ground dropping away to both our
left and right. Off to the right about 400 meters away
was a small
reentrant
closing slowly on us bounded on the far bank
by a woodland plantation.
We
hit a track crossing the spur from north to south
at a pont where the track leveled off after climbing uphill
from the north to meet the shoulder of the spur we were
ascending.
We
turned
right to follow the
track south. We have walked on the track for about
300 meters and 4 minutes of steady walking. During this
time
the track
has remained flat, neither dropping or ascending
the hill. To our left, the ground has continued to rise
to a
ridge about
50 meters above us, while to our right the flank
of the spur is dropping into a reentrant. We have been
closing on
the corner
of the woods"
At
this point the group stops while the leg leader attempts to
fix their position. The assessor asks you where you are (oh
sh*t is the expression on your face!). An inexperienced or
under confident navigator will go straight to their compass
and try
and fix
bearings
off the
corner of the woods and the two spot heights at 604 and 592.
However,
by using the story of the leg, you can get a rough estimation
of your position and then gather some visual evidence to back
it up. for example:
Looking
back in direction A. Steady flat track running north across
an ascending spur, the track starts dropping away after 3-400
meters as it crests the spur.
Looking
in direction B. A shallow saddle about 50 meters above us and
400 meters away with a summit to the left and right. Also I
can see a shallow stream dropping and trending right into a
shallow gully and running down to the track about 75 meters
ahead of me.
Looking
in direction C. I observe the stream crossing the
track about 75 meters ahead after which the track starts
to climb gently
up the flank of the hill side ahead with the wood coming
in to meet it.
Looking
in direction D. I am looking down a reentrant / flank of the
spur with the wood off to the left.
Generally.
I observe that we turned along the track just at a point where
the gradient of the hill was steepening.
Therefore
I can say with a fair degree of accuracy and certainty that
we are here. Etc.
Pulling
this level of detail from the map and relating it to
the ground is the essence of good navigating. The shape of the
land in your immediate surroundings is often enough to
get
a fix and will be more reliable than looking for obvious
feature 2-4 km off to attempt a resection with.
Some
further examples from Steve Long's fantastic book:
measurement
of distance on the map and the ground
There
are lots of toys and methods for measuring distance on
the map from very versatile mapping software on your PC to a piece
of string!
I
recommend you learn to be as accurate as you can with
the tools you will use when your map is in a slippery map case,
covered in lashing rain in a 20mph wind! That's how you
will
be doing it when you really need the accuracy of information.
For
this, there is really only one tool and that's the edge
of your compass or the roamers if you have a compass with them
marked on. Big tip, invest in a good quality compass with
fluorescent markings, a clear magnifying glass easy to read measuring
scales and roamers in the base plate for 1:50k and 1:25k maps.
If
your using the edge of the compass and it's marked in mm
you can quickly transfer this measurement into distance
if you remember that for 1:50,000 20mm = 1000m or 2mm = 100
m and for 1:25,000 40mm = 1000m and 4mm = 100m ! If you're
still with me the following should make sense:
On
a 1:50,000 map
3mm
= 150meters
10mm = 500 meters
14mm = 700 meters
On
a 1:25,000 map
4mm
= 100 meters
10mm
= 250 meters
26mm
= 650 meters
If
you struggle to do the maths, draw yourself up a small card
with a table and distances while you practice, but practice you
must!! The aim for an effective navigator is to get to a point
where you can do the calculations in your head.
You
obviously then need to be able to apply this information once
you have retrieved it from your map and for this we have a few
choices depending upon the distances and the task.
Form
small distance or micro navigation we can use pacing. Again,
get into the books to understand the detail or this, but remember
that
as terrain becomes more broken, boggy, vegetated or steep,
the pacing method becomes less accurate. It also becomes increasing
difficult
to
function
as a leader if you are busy counting off paces, so I tend to
use it for distances of 400 meters or less.
For
distances over 400 meters I tend to go with timing. Again look
in the books, but make sure you practice both methods relentlessly
and together. Accuracy in pacing and timing will be thoroughly
assessed and you need to be confident because they are tools that
you will
use
in poor visibility when getting it right is critical and you
are already under enough pressure.
Of
course you can use the two together and this is a good 'back
up system' to develop.
In
reality you can have all this written on cards, but you soon
end up with a little laminated booklet swinging from your compass
string,
so I am a big believer in learning to do it in your head -
you should have paid more attention in maths!
Oh
yes, it also helps to have a method of 'ticking off' 100 meter
multiples when you're pacing - a clicker, a counter on the
side of your compass, little draw cord grips that you can slide
down
your
compass string, or a hand full of pebbles - what ever floats
your boat. Don't forget a watch with a stop watch on it for timing
too
- invaluable and much more practical that all you youngsters
who want to use your phone to do it!
identification
of position by various methods of relocation
Relocating
is a very common activity when navigating. More often than not,
we plan a leg, put the map away and get on with the business
or walking, leading and informing the group. At some point we
lift the map out again and update our position, either still
on the move or by taking a brief halt. This is relocating. It's
not an activity that you only do when your lost!
You
can always tell an assessment group on the hill, they are walking
along, stopping very often and the all have their heads buried
in their maps! Assessors understand the pressure and challenge
of assessment, it does have an impact on the way you navigate
and they make allowances for it. But try to develop a more natural
style of navigating where you use 'map memory' skills with the
kind of relocations skills described above.
Of
course you are less likely to lose your position if you check
and update regularly but there is a balance and over navigating
will detract from your ability to lead the group and discuss
interesting points along the journey - remember it's a leadership
award not a navigation proficiency test.
On
featureless terrain it can help you if you update your position
by marking the map as you go. Obviously, this will only really
work with a laminated map and even then only when it's dry. I
use a small OHP type felt pen (usually red 'cos it stands out)
and circle features rather than obscure positions with felt tip
markings. It can be useful to note things like time next to the
point.
This
can be a big help when you next get your map out as you naturally
zoom in on the marking point and then trace out your 'story of
the journey' - fast and efficient.
Be
wary about going for the classic compass resection. You should
rarely need to do this. If the visibility is clear enough for
you to see far off features, you should be able to gather immediate
locality information and get a more accurate fix.
Develop
a method of relocating as described above and practice using
the process.
A
half way house with the resection idea, is to use strong features
to orientate your map by eye, without the use of the compass.
This can be amazing accurate and make you look like some kind
of zen navigator!
More
of my favourite book..
Remember
to make life easy for yourself - go to high ground. Stop and
'scout around' the locality. Take your time before you make a
decision - don't rush it. Quite often if you move a couple of
100 meters everything falls into place - be cool!
On
assessment, as with everyday walking group leading - relocating
is a very common activity and it will be thoroughly assessed.
A common assessment tool, is for the assessor to lead a leg,
with everyone following blind (their maps away in their pockets)
and then stop at a suitable point for a relocation.
Mae
sure you understand that range of tools and options you have
and don't forget aspect of slope bearings and bearings along
features, one of the few times you will use a compass other than
poor visibility!
navigation
across country by various methods in poor visibility and/or in
darkness. This will include the use of a compass, the use of
a map alone and an awareness of other navigational aids
This
is the one that causes all the stress! It is essential that you
can manage your group in poor visibility and at night. In the
context of the walking group leader scheme, you may of course
end up in poor viz and less likely, but still feasible caught
out at night.
Essentially
your assessment panel will want reassurance that you can both
function as a walking group leader - look after your group and
ge them off the fell. This boils down to a couple of clear navigation
tasks (we will ignore group leadership for now):
Do
you know where you are?
Can you devise an effective strategy for getting to a safe
place?
Can you navigate the group to that safe place?
How
does it work in practice? The old micro-navigation again. This
is really where all your skills come together. You map memory,
ground interpretation and map craft will now really come into
focus because you have very limited visibility and therefore
less information.
Clearly
your measuring, pacing and timing skills will be tested and
will almost certainly be used on most legs. If you can now do
these calculations in your head, you have a massive advantage
in your
ability to operate as a navigator and leader.
You
will need to be able to to take and follow accurate bearings,
to navigate to specific points and get your group off the hill.
A
major aspect, though will be your tactics and route planning.
Typically you will be set legs with either a linear feature for
part of the distance, an attack point, or a stop feature. Maybe
involving all three. What the assessor with be investigating
is your ability to pick an appropriate strategy and your
competence is executing that strategy given the risk
and consequences of getting lost.
Again, get into the books to pick up the theory and then get out
on the hill at night or in fog and do loads of micro nav. As
we like to say "when the fog is gone, it won't be mist!".
If
you have altimeters, GPS etc, you may be invited to explain how
you would use them, but you will be assessed on map and compass
alone for the majority of your time, so learn and practice the
skills.
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