Location: Snowdonia
Price: £295 per person
Ratio: 1:6 dropping to 1:4 for the scrambling
Length: 5 days

Who is the course suitable for?
If you have an interest in hillwalking in the mountains in summer conditions and would like to be a confident and self sufficient navigator and able to look after yourself in summer conditions then this is the course for you.

Over the 5 days we will spend 3 days focusing on mountain navigation, taking in some of Snowdonias finest summits along the way. We will then devote 2 days to heading onto steeper ground and looking at the skills involved in enjoying grade 1 scrambles. These latter two days will be tailored to suit the groups skills and aspirations.

This course is ideal for complete beginners. It is also a good grounding for anyone looking to gain pre-requiste experience before attending a Mountain Leader training course. The course is suitable for anyone over the age of 18, there is no maximum age and we regularly get a mixture of ages and experience and are used to tailoring the course to meet the needs of a varied group of people.

What does the course cover?
- Five full days of practical navigation and scrambling in the mountains of Snowdonia
- Introduction to different map scales
- How to set the map
- How to interpret contours
- How to interpret key symbols ie how to find a footpath, fence, stream etc
- How to plan and follow a route using paths and other key features
- How to plan and follow a route across featureless terrain
- How to estimate distance using pacing and timing
- How to navigate in poor or limited visibility
- How to use the compass
- How to re-orientate yourself if you do get lost
- Training and Assessment to Silver NNAS standard (optional - if you want to attend the course for your own benefit and do not require the certificate then you do not need to be assessed)
- Certificate for successful candidates assessed to Silver level
- Movement over steep gound (this is not a scrambling course but will give a gentle introduction)
- Mountain weather - how the weather affects our route planning and choice during the day
- Emergency procedures in case of an incident
- Choice and use of equipment
- Introduction to grade 1 scrambling ground
- How to interpret the scrambling guidebooks
- Movement skills on ridges and in gullies
- Emergency use of the rope to protect a nervous second

What is the NNAS?
The National Navigation Award Scheme is a nationally recognised structure for the provision of navigation training courses. It is arranged into 3 levels, Bronze, Silver and Gold. This course covers the Silver award which covers more open country techniques such as contour interpretation, distance judgement and good compass use. The awards are becoming more widely recognised by schools and youth groups.

Where is the course held?
We run the course in Snowdonia and try to ensure that all of the learning takes place as part of a mountain journey. We have the right to roam in Snowdonia and so are not restricted to staying on footpaths and this helps develop our map to ground reading skills.

Whats included?
The course fee includes instruction and the use of any specialist equipment. You can read our "whats included" and kit list page here.

What about accommodation?
We do not include accommodation with this course. For a variety of different accommodation options in Snowdonia, from camping to nice hotels, visit this link.

If you have any questions about booking a course then please just call or email. Booking is a simple two stage process:

1. Choose a date.
Individuals - visit the diary page for details of open course availability
Groups of 2 or more - Call or email to arrange a date to suit you -

2. Book the course
Online: You can book online securely by clicking on the "buy now" button
or
Download a postal booking form from our booking page.

If you are booking more than 8 weeks in advance you can choose to pay a deposit of £100 to secure your booking. Click here to pay a deposit.