3-day Hill Walking & Navigation Course in the Brecon Beacons

Over the last two weeks a4adventure has been busy with an enthusiastic group of young people in and around the Brecon Beacons.

Over two separate three day courses, two groups of students progressed from complete beginners to being able to navigate competently with both a map and compass together.

Day One saw the group get to grips with navigating by map alone (identifying features on the ground and linking them to the symbols of the map - such as field boundaries, streams, shakeholes, slopes and rocky outcrops), plotting their progress by timings and by pacings as well as looking at the personal and group equipment needed to be safe out in the hills. After a few hours of walking and applying their new found knowledge, the group were comfortably navigating their way around the moor, and were competently recognising and identifying the natural features that they passed.

Day Two saw a4adventure increase the navigational challenge by delivering a session on navigating by compass and bearings. Once familiar with the layout and operation of the compass, the students embarked on a challenging (but ultimately achievable) orienteering navigation exercise in the Brecon Beacons. This saw them programme the bearings into their compass and develop their skills in following the bearings accurately. Once each student had shown sound ability to navigate on a bearing by compass, and was happy in their progress, the course moved on to develop the students ability to take bearings from the map and to then follow them to the target feature on the ground.

Day Three was the culmination of the training, involving a longer journey than the students had so far carried out as well as an assessment of their map and compass skills (as they then navigated unsupported for the whole day). From a start point at Blaen y Glyn the group worked their way uphill and around the ridges to visit the Memorial to the crashed WW2 Canadian Wellington bomber near Waun Rhydd. After lunching near-by, the students began to increase their personal challenges and skills development by choosing their own route through the landscape, and refining their group control on the return journey.

Well done to each of the students for their commitment, attention and enthusiasm ... and well done to a4adventure for booking such mixed weather - testing the students in a range of conditions and environments.

For more information, and to book your own adventure, please see our website:

www.a4adventure.com