MOUNTAIN NAVIGATION

If your phone dies, would you know how to navigate through the mountains? Do you know how to use a map and compass? Ae you confident in your skills to safely get out of the mountains if something happened to your partner? If you answered no to any of these, Mountain Navigation is vital for any of your backcountry adventures!

This course will cover navigation in diverse alpine terrain, regardless of conditions and visibility. Students will learn to create trip plans that include objectives, conditions, avalanche hazard, mountain hazards, terrain, contingency plans, and full white-out navigation plans.

This course will take place over 2 days. The first day will be partially in the classroom in the morning and will focus on basic navigational concepts. The second day will be partially in the classroom in the morning then outdoors in the afternoon, learning and practicing navigational and trip planning skills in the field.

Day 1: Meet the guide at 8:45am at Howe Sound Brewery. The guide will have everyone sign a waiver and give a brief overview of the course. Day 1 will focus on the theoretical lessons.

The day will end at approximately 4pm with a debrief and a discussion of the next day’s objectives.

Day 2: Meet the guide at 8:45am at Brennan Park. The guide will review Day 1’s theoretical lessons before the group practices those skills in the field.

The day will end at approximately 4pm with a course debrief and what the next steps are for students.

• Laptop computer or tablet
• Rite in the Rain notebook style #311 and pencil (mechanical preferred)
• Baseplate compass with sighting mirror, rotating dial/bezel, adjustable declination & romer scales (suggested brands: Silva & Suunto)
• GPS, if you have one
• Clothing and footwear appropriate for the weather*
• Food and drink for the day

• Getting familiar with your compass
• Reading topographic maps
• Making a route plan

• Taking and following bearings on the map and in the field
• Navigating with a map and compass in good and poor visibility
• Triangulation
• Navigating around obstacles

• Route Planning
• Ranking hazards
• Contingency planning
• Building and following a whiteout navigation plan