Learn to navigate like a pro, plan routes and wild-camp safely and responsibly in our mountain landscapes (from £195)

Our Wild-camping and Navigation Skills Weekend is for those wanting the confidence and skills to plan and undertake multi-day adventures in our wild places in the mountains. This course, delivered by experienced expedition leaders, will teach you how to plan and navigate your very own adventures whilst ticking off some exciting Wainwright summits.

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

One night wild-camping

Two days of expert tuition from highly qualified expedition leaders

Tents and sleeping mats

JOINING INSTRUCTIONS

Meet/Depart Eskdale, South Lakes, Cumbria

Itinerary (please note this is highly flexible and may change to take account of local conditions)

Day 1

We meet at the car park at the foot of Hardknott Pass in the Eskdale Valley at 9.30am. We will receive a briefing of the adventure ahead with our North Star Adventure expedition leader. We will set off alongside the River Esk; a tumbling, sparkling river that tumbles down the lesser-known slopes of the Scafell massif. In warmer weather, the turquoise pools make for a refreshing swim. We will slowly ascend the valley which becomes steeper and the landscape remoter and wilder in feel. From here, we will focus on learning new navigation skills. There is only so much you can learn in the classroom, and it is only once you are outdoors that these skills can be learned experientially. Once up high, our expedition leader will help us to choose an appropriate wild-camping location, considering many ethical angles in doing so. Once we have established our wild-camp, we will have the opportunity to try our hand at some easy scrambling before returning to our camp for dinner. Should conditions allow, there is an optional activity of night-navigation, an invaluable experience for dealing with poor weather navigation and highly recommended.

Day 2

After breakfast, we strike camp and pack our rucksacks. We will set off, taking it in turns to navigate legs to take a high-level ridge traverse along Esk Pike, Bowfell and Crinkle Crags. On a clear day, the views are incredible in all directions. As we drop back into the Eskdale valley, we will stop to look at techniques used for crossing rivers safely and efficiently. Whilst optional, this is a valuable lesson and one we place at the end of the workshop to minimise time spent in wet boots! We return along the river back to our start point and have a debrief at the local country pub.