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Walking & Route Finding - what you need to understand!
Efficient
walking and effective route finding is a
major element of the assessment and a difficult aspect
of the award to fudge! Your ability to move efficiently
as a hill walking leader coupled with your ability to
route find is a core skill.
Essentially
the award is looking for you to demonstrate competence
in three overlapping areas:
- Do
you organise and manage efficient movement through
the terrain?
- Are
you safe and considerate to your group and the environment?
- Is
the experience enjoyable, relevant, informative and
appropriate?
Candidates
at assessment have a tendency to focus too much on the
process of navigating and can, if not careful, neglect
the leadership aspects of the award to their detriment!
Try
to remember, that while proficiency as a navigator is
an essential skill, the walking group leader award is
a leadership award first and foremost. Yes, you need
to be able to navigate effectively, but you need to be
able to lead the group and manage the experience while
you navigate.
Your
ability to act as a suitable role model through the way
you move, the pace you set and the route you select will
be looked at when you present for assessment. Your
ability
to transfer
these skills to your group will also reflect your experience
and ability as a leader, so do your homework.
Your
route finding skills will be assessed from your ability
to plan before the walk, your ability to monitor progress
on the ground and adapt your plans, your ability to view
the terrain ahead and assess the best route through it
given the vegetation cover, ground morphology and any
potential hazards.
In
short, it won't be enough to be able to navigate from
point A to point B. Remember, it should be an enjoyable
and relevant experience for your group and few people
enjoy waist deep heather or knee deep bog trotting.
Your
skills in leadership as applied to movement and route
choice can not be learned from a book (or a web site!)
You have to get out there, off the paths and away from
familiar terrain to build your judgment skills - mainly
by getting it wrong! As you consolidate your experience,
don't just measure yourself on the accuracy of your navigation,
constantly evaluate your route choice too. Often choice
of route between two way points will be a
compromise between the shortest route between the
two points, the
ease of
navigation,
the amount
of ascent
etc. There is no substitute for experience of walking
with & navigating for groups in this regard.
A
lack of preparation in this area will stand out a mile
to an experienced assessor, so make sure you do the
miles and that they are high value miles - across complicated,
unfamiliar terrain with some willing volunteers for company!
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Here's
what the prospectus has to say about Walking and Route finding...
Walking
& Route Finding
Candidates must
be able to demonstrate the judgment required to easily identify
appropriate terrain for leading groups within the scope
of the Walking Group Leader Award WGL. Candidates should be able
to move efficiently over this terrain, while demonstrating the
ability to be flexible when pace setting in order to take account
of the group members.
Assessors need
to ensure that candidates can move efficiently and effectively
over a variety of terrain and are able to pass on simple advice
to assist the novice hill walker. Leaders need to show an awareness
of the importance of pace and demonstrate strategies to deal
with differing abilities within a group, setting a pace that
is appropriate
to the group, the terrain and the weather conditions.
OK
so what does it all mean in practice?
Lets
look at personal walking skills first...
Image
from
Hillwalking by Steve Long
The official handbook of the MLTUK Schemes
(see resources page for details)
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Personal
Movement Skills
You
are an essential role model and your group will quickly
pick up on the way you move and copy it.
Your
effectiveness in personal movement is a complex area,
but for coaching purposes consider three basic building
blocks:
As
a hill walking leader you need to be able to demonstrate
these, understand them and observe them in your group.
Only then can you look at strategies for coaching them.
Getting
your group moving properly is an essential skill to develop
and can make every other aspect of your work more enjoyable
and rewarding. It is an area that many instructors ignore
or under utilise and can really set you out at assessment.
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Posture
Consider:
Head
and Shoulders (not just for dandruff!). We tend to go where we
are looking. Encourage the group to look ahead
several meters rather than study their feet. Shoulders should
be loose to allow the arms to swing and generally centred
over the feet or point of balance. Getting the shoulders up and
back
will help with balance and breathing.
Arms
- best out of pockets so they can swing with the rhythm of the
pace. Very useful for helping to steady the walking pace and
for balance at awkward points. Arms just 'dangling' or shoved
into pockets may be a tell tail sign of trouble coming for that
group member so learn to read the signs.
Legs
- We have to learn to swing our feet from the hips rather than
the knees - this is something that novices often struggle with,
but using the full length of the leg will help with stride, pace
and efficiency.
Loads
- rucksacks obviously need to be well packed and fitted. This
will have an enormous impact upon people's posture and efficiency
and therefore their resilience and enjoyability.
Support
- experiment with using walking poles if you have never tried
them. They are becoming a very common walking aid these days
and many instructors take a pair for handing out to a group member
who is suffering or is struggling to maintain balance or pace.
The
whole package - learn to study your walking group members and
look for elements of their posture that are not quite right.
Remember
that your
body position changes depending upon the nature of the terrain
we are moving through, flat, uphill and downhill all influence
and change body posture, so study yourself and others to understand
what is going on.
The
ability to maintain efficient posture will be intrinsically
linked to pace and footwork, but getting the right clothing on
is also essential. For example hats rather than hoods up on waterproofs
makes a massive difference to body posture in windy conditions!
Pace
Consider:
Resilience
- the pace your group is moving at needs to be sustainable for
the entire length of the day and leave you and your walking group
with enough energy in reserve to deal with diversions and other
issues that
may
effect
your
time on the the ground.
Enjoyable
- you role is to make the experience enjoyable for all! Often
finding a pace that suits the less able members of the group
causes frustration to the fitter members. You need to develop
a range of strategies for how you will deal with this issue.
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Speedy
- stop and go
More
of an issue with young or inexperienced groups. The tendency
to rush at things and move at a pace that is too fast to
maintain. This results in short burst of movement and frequent
rests. Maintaining body temperature, fluid levels, group
cohesion and general interest becomes harder as they day
progresses.
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 |
Steady
and sure
More
experienced groups operate like this. It almost feels like
you have to force yourself to walk slower than you want
to! Youngsters find this very hard to begin with, so frequent
distractions may be called for. The slow steady pace is
sustainable, so less rests are needed, conversations can
be managed because you are not short of breath or spread
out, but most important of all it allows for very gentle
precise movement that is very efficient. As a group leader
you are a major role model for establishing a sustainable
pace, so practice this skill.
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Image
from
Hillwalking by Steve Long
The official handbook of the MLTUK Schemes
(see resources page for details)
Your
body needs oxygen to work, so movement at a speed where you are
not out of breath is a sure sign that you are near the optimum
pace. As a general rule, the leader who is totally absorbed in
the mechanics of navigating tends to miss these elements with
their group and the pace tends to speed up!
Use
of Feet
Consider:
Footwear.
The choice of weapon on your feet will have a major impact upon
your personal walking style and ultimately your group. In choosing
your boots, there are many factors to consider, but chief amongst
them will be the work they need to do for you. As a group leader,
your boots must be stable enough to allow you to operate on
mixed terrain from flat stone paths, through bog and wet areas,
stone or bouldery ground and onto slopes and often wet slippery
slopes at that!
They
obviously need to be comfortable, but also grip well and provide
enough support for you to be able to walk effectively on all
the terrain described above.
Further
to this your boots also have to have enough capability for you
to create stability for your group - either because you can remain
stable and support a team member on an awkward slope or so that
you can 'kick a platform' or edge for others to use.
Generally
this will mean you will be wearing a more substantial boot than
your group members, so consider the role your boots must perform
when you purchase them.
Walking
techniques.
Correct placement of feet is an essential skills and links strongly
with posture. Use of the side of the boot & edging
on slopes combined with swinging the other leg through is a classic
sign of
an experienced
walker. Driving the heal in on soft ground descents. all these
skills are deployed by the experienced walker but can be overlooked
with groups of novices.
Foot
placement. Overstretching and using too much energy to make the
step. Bending the knee rather than swinging the leg from the
hip. Getting out of balance. Bouncing the foot onto the ground
with too much force and energy. all these are classic foot placement
issues and again, they need to be understood and coached with
groups.
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For
further information I would recommend that you read
the chapter on Movement Skills & Route Finding in:
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 the left to visit the MLTUK on line store.
|
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WGL
Leader Route finding Skills
Finding
safe, interesting and rewarding routes in moorland requires
a combination of many skills developed through personal experience
and hard won knowledge.
For
the walking group leader your decision making will be based
upon some key areas:
The
Group
Your ability and experience
Pre planning
Observation on the ground
Emerging needs of your group
Weather & time of year
These
factors combine to dictate the choices and decisions you make
while leading a walking group in the hills.
Your
Group
Obvious
considerations include the age, experience, number and equipment
of your group. It goes without saying that your planned route should
be within the ability of all of your group, given these factors.
Just
as important is the purpose of the day, their expectations and
desires, the weather conditions, your experience in the terrain,
what support / back up is available, what else the group have
done in the few days before the walk. A big day out with a group
who have just had several 'big days out' might not be the best
choice. Pay particular attention to what the group have been
eating - food is fuel, so you want to be sure their tanks were
topped up the day before.
Your
Ability & Experience
Bear
in mind that your WGL award, if you already have it represents
a snap shot of your skills, taken at the time of assessment -
that's all. You have a duty of care to your group and to the
organising authority / employer as well. To be blunt, if you
end up in court defending your decisions (thankfully very rare)
it will be your current level of recent experience combined with
the choices you made in accordance with considered best practice
that will count, not your qualification!
In
short, you should undertake walks that lie within your area of
experience and ability. This does not mean you can only lead
on walks you have previously undertaken. But if most of your
recent leading has been in down land, a three day hike across
Dartmoor might not be a great idea for you to lead. You should
perhaps
gain some up to date and relevant experience of walking on Dartmoor
before you take on the work.
In
the context of the walking group leader award and your assessment,
you can be sure that the assessment team will want to satisfy
themselves that you can operate at the upper levels of the terrain
in scope, so to prepare yourself you need to be walking in different
areas and get off the well trodden paths.
Which
is the better terrain to develop your skills?
Pre
Planning
In
addition to liasing with the group / organiser to gather information
about the group's abilities and the purpose of the day, your
pre planning will involve some research.
Typically,
this research might involve the map, guidebooks, field guides,
local history publications, but it will also involve gaining
local knowledge either through personal time on the ground or
talking with local practitioners, use of the internet etc.
Your
pre plan should be based around the purpose of the journey -
is it a teaching day to work on navigation skills - such as may
be the case with a D of E group or is it a scenic walk for the
local photography club? You can see how the objective will influence
the route choice and you can be sure your understanding in this
regard will be assessed.
Your
pre
plan with the map, will probably come in two stages:
Gaining
a general overview from 1:50,000 - ideal for understanding the
general topography of the terrain you are proposing to operate
in.
The
use of 1:25,000 then allows for the detailed planning of
features and navigation points. but these maps are not always
available
for the area you may be visiting.
By
careful study of both maps, you can determine likely trouble
spots for poor underfoot conditions such as boggy areas and
marshes,
likely routes up onto higher ground, feasible walking routes
and return points, ideal vantage points for views, points of
interest specific to the group's objectives etc. Note that
the craggy ground south of the summit of Moel Llyfnant is not
even shown on the 1:50,000!
Bear
in mind though that the map is not the territory! Any and all
man made features such as plantations, tracks, boundaries etc
may or may not be visible on the ground, likewise natural features,
particularly land shape, is unlikely to alter, though as you
can see, detail is sometimes lacking particularly on the 1:50,000.
As
a walking group leader you will be expected to be able to
navigate proficiently using both map scales and it is very
common to
switch between maps during the assessment process, so make
sure you practice with both. The assessor will use the 1:50,00
to really test your map to ground skills, so practice using
it to understand terrain shape and get used to navigating
with it.
The
maps are also your primary source of information for estimating
distance and time on your journey - both important planning
tools. There are several methods for achieving both, so once
again study the relevant books. The two I would recommend
are:
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!
|
There
are lots of methods and 'tools' that you can use to aid you
in the calculation of distance and walking speed but bear
in mind that you will need to be able to calculate both very
efficiently
on the ground during assessment. you will be repeatedly asked
to estimate distance and arrival time so your mental arithmetic,
or navigation aids need to be robust enough to work at night,
in rain, in strong winds, when you are under pressure with
the assessor asking "time to target?". Get the picture?
Your
pre planning should also include route cards / route descriptions,
escape routes, and risk assessments for the group / planned walk.
The purpose of this work is to inform your thinking so that
when you put boots to ground, you are best prepared for the
challenges of the day and the plan has been well researched
and adapted to the needs and abilities of the group.
Observations
on the ground
The
map is a useful planning tool
It's
value is enhanced for the walking group leader who can visualise
the terrain from the map - this is an essential skill and again
will be thoroughly explored at assessment.
But
the map is never going to be reality on the ground!
Get
used to challenging your map assumptions and working with
what you can see in front of you. Very often the features
look different to what you might expect. The vegetation can
have a major impact on our ability to walk a planned route.
For example here the
brown
in
the mid ground is dead bracken - straight forward to walk
through in early spring but come back in September and this
would be very difficult to walk
through!
Rushes
and
reeds in the valley bottom indicate an area of boggy terrain
that you might need to walk around. The heather and gorse
on the far slope could easily impede progress. The walking
group leader needs to be able to look at the terrain
in front
of
them
and adapt their plans to make choose the best route for the
conditions on the ground as they are met.
Treat
all man made features as potentially wrong. Forest boundaries
may change from when the map was surveyed. Boundaries may
not be obvious or new fences added. Buildings and roads appear
etc. It is your ability to use a combination of information
sources to reach an informed decision that is important,
chief amongst these are map, ground and 'the story of the
leg you have just walked'.
This
is a major element of your assessment and a skill you need
to have fully developed during your consolidation phase.
Emerging
needs of your group
Of
course, your route choice is going to be influenced by how
your group are coping on the ground. Delayed starts, problems
with blisters or equipment, lack of fitness etc. Any one
or combination of factors can make you rethink your plans
for the day.
This
is why developing a good rapport with your group early is
an important skills for walking group leaders. By getting
in amongst them, so to speak, you are going to pick up on
signs and nuances early.
If
you have a good time plan for the day from your pre planning
work, you will have a sense of whether you are on track,
ahead of time or falling behind and can respond early to
adjust as you judge right.
I
reaching decisions about a change in route / itinerary I
often find it useful to work backward from the agreed end
time.
Often there is transport or other commitments that dictate
when the day needs to finish, so working back helps to rethink
what is feasible given reality on the ground.
With
circular walks, often this will mean cutting of a corner,
or not going for a particular summit.
With
linear walks, it may mean a diversion to better / easier
terrain or reducing 'lost time' given over to navigating
/ exploring / photography etc.
The
important thing is to monitor progress and think about your
options early. Your aim should be to keep the day enjoyable
and informative rather than an endurance event for rush for
a deadline!
Of
course it's not always bad news! sometimes the group are
more able or pick up on a particular thing and want to explore
it more, so you need a range of strategies to keep the day
appropriate.
Weather
and time of year
"Always
use the first two hours of daylight" was drummed into
me as a young Outward Bound instructor and I guess we all
take
the point. The time of year will have a major impact upon
both the length of the day available to us and of course
the likely weather we face.
The
seasons can have a major impact on vegetation cover, water
table and water course volumes - all of which can have an
enormous impact on our routes and plans. At the time of
writing this, we recently had a fatality on Dartmoor involving
a teenager and a stream - so enough said.
The
weather will impact navigation, communication, morale and
endurance of the team, so don't be afraid to moderate your
plans as the weather dictates.
Strong
winds in particular can really take it out of a group and
can be very challenging to avoid on open rolling moorland.
We may not have the steep ridges to avoid but 3 hours battling
into a 30mph headwind will soon knock the stuffing out of
your group.
THe
difficulty of navigating in adverse weather conditions can
add hours to a walk.
A
path that is easy to spot and follow in fine weather..
Can
be a bit more tricky when foggy..
And
could be very easily missed altogether at night!...
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