MASTER NAVIGATION
Learn the skills. Practise them. Prove what you can do.
29 Lessons | 5 Quizzes | 6 Levels
Your Navigation Journey
Navigation Mastery takes you from the foundations of map and compass use through to advanced navigation and practical route planning. Work through the lessons in order, practise the skills, complete the knowledge checks and build your confidence as you progress.
Survival Beginner
Build the foundations of map, compass, bearings, grid references, contours and safe route planning.
Explorer
Develop your understanding of natural navigation, accurate compass use, pacing and modern navigation tools.
Apprentice
Learn to navigate in more challenging conditions and deal with common navigation problems.
Practitioner
Apply your navigation skills to real-world situations, including separation, getting lost and blocked routes.
Expert
Bring your skills together through bearings, map-and-compass navigation, route planning, checkpoints and difficult terrain.
Survival Master
Complete the final practical assessment and demonstrate that you can plan and navigate a route safely and independently.
Your Navigation Lessons
Work through each lesson in order. Learn the skill, practise it outdoors where appropriate and complete the knowledge checks as you progress.
STAGE 1 — SURVIVAL BEGINNER
Lesson 1 — Compass Basics
Learn the essential parts of a compass, how it works and how to use it confidently for basic outdoor navigation.
Lesson 2 — What Is a Bearing?
Learn what a bearing is, how bearings are measured and how they help you navigate accurately from one point to another.
Lesson 3 — How to Use a Grid Reference
Learn how grid references work and how to use them to identify and communicate precise locations on a walking map.
Lesson 4 — How to Read Contour Lines
Learn how contour lines show the shape and height of the land and how to use them to understand the terrain ahead.
Lesson 5 — Route Planning: A Beginner’s Guide
Learn how to plan a walking route by considering distance, terrain, navigation, weather, access and the abilities of your group.
Lesson 6 — How to Choose a Safe Walking Route
Learn how to assess a route and identify hazards, difficult terrain, weather considerations and other factors before setting out.
Lesson 7 — Preventing Yourself Becoming Lost
Learn the essential habits and navigation techniques that can help you stay on course and reduce the chance of becoming lost.
KNOWLEDGE CHECK
Survival Beginner Quiz
Test what you’ve learned before moving on to the Explorer stage.
Survival Beginner Navigation Challenge
Put your Survival Beginner navigation skills into practice by planning and completing a short route using a walking map and compass.
Your task:
Plan a safe short route.
Identify at least three points on your map.
Record their grid references.
Check the contours and terrain.
Take and follow at least one bearing.
Complete the route while regularly checking your position.
Record or photograph suitable evidence of your completed challenge.
Once you’ve completed it, you can post your proof to the Social Activity feed using the hashtag #NavigationBeginner
STAGE 2 — EXPLORER
Lesson 8 — What Is Natural Navigation?
Learn how natural features such as the sun, landscape, vegetation and other environmental clues can help you understand your surroundings and support traditional navigation.
Lesson 9 — Navigation Using Natural Features
Learn how to use identifiable landscape features as navigation aids and how to combine them with your map and compass skills.
Lesson 10 — Compass Error Awareness
Learn about common sources of compass error and how to recognise and reduce errors when taking and following directions.
Lesson 11 — Walking Pace Control
Learn how to develop a consistent walking pace and use pacing as a useful navigation technique when travelling between known points.
Lesson 12 — How to Tell How Long a Walk Will Take
Learn how distance, terrain, pace, stops and conditions affect walking time and how to make more realistic journey estimates.
Lesson 13 — What3Words, GPS and Modern Navigation
Learn how GPS, digital mapping and What3Words can support outdoor navigation and why they should complement rather than replace traditional navigation skills.
KNOWLEDGE CHECK
Navigation Explorer Challenge
Description:
Put your Explorer navigation skills into practice by completing a short route using your map, compass, pacing and natural navigation techniques.
Challenge:
Plan a suitable route with several identifiable points.
Use your map and compass to stay on course.
Use at least one natural feature as a navigation aid.
Use pacing to estimate the distance travelled between two points.
Make an estimate of how long the route should take.
Compare your estimate with the actual time taken.
Record suitable evidence of your route and techniques.
Proof hashtag:#NavigationExplorer
STAGE 3 — APPRENTICE
Lesson 14 — Navigating in Poor Visibility
Learn how reduced visibility affects navigation and how to use your map, compass and surroundings to stay on course when you cannot see as far ahead.
Lesson 15 — Mountain Weather Planning
Learn how changing mountain weather can affect navigation, route choice and safety, and how to plan appropriately before setting out.
Lesson 16 — Night Navigation for Explorers
Learn how darkness changes navigation and how to use a map, compass, bearings and other techniques to navigate safely at night.
Lesson 17 — What to Do If You Lose Your Compass
Learn how to respond if your compass becomes unavailable and how to use other navigation information to maintain or regain your position.
Lesson 18 — What to Do If You Lose Your Map
Learn how to respond if your map is lost or damaged and how to use your remaining navigation information to make safe decisions.
KNOWLEDGE CHECK
Apprentice Challenge
Description:
Put your Apprentice navigation skills into practice by planning and completing a suitable route while adapting your navigation to changing conditions.
Challenge:
Choose a route appropriate to your ability and the conditions.
Check the weather forecast before setting out.
Identify sections where visibility, terrain or darkness could affect navigation.
Plan how you would navigate if visibility became poor.
Use your map and compass throughout the route.
Identify a safe stopping point where you could reassess your route.
Explain what you would do if your compass or map became unavailable.
Proof hashtag:#NavigationApprentice
STAGE 4 — PRACTITIONER
Lesson 19 — What to Do If You Get Separated from Your Group
Learn what to do if you become separated from your group, how to stay calm, assess your situation and use your navigation skills to make safe decisions.
Lesson 20 — What to Do If You Get Lost in a Forest
Learn how to respond if you lose your way in woodland, including how to stop, assess your position and decide on the safest course of action.
Lesson 21 — What to Do When a Hiking Route Is Blocked
Learn how to deal with blocked paths and unexpected obstacles while avoiding unsafe shortcuts and making sensible decisions about your route.
Lesson 22 — Public Rights of Way UK
Learn how public rights of way work, how different types of countryside paths are identified and why understanding access is important when planning a route.
Lesson 23 — Outdoor Skills You Can Practise on a Rainy Day
Use poor weather as an opportunity to practise navigation skills in a controlled environment, including map reading, route planning and navigation exercises.
STAGE 5 — EXPERT
Lesson 24 — Taking and Following Bearings Over a Route
Learn how to take accurate bearings, follow them over distance and combine them with map information to navigate confidently between points.
Lesson 25 — Using a Map and Compass Together
Learn how to combine map reading, compass work, bearings and terrain awareness to build a complete picture of your route.
Lesson 26 — Planning and Navigating a Complete Route
Learn how to plan a complete navigation route, identify key points and hazards, choose appropriate techniques and then put your plan into practice.
Lesson 27 — Navigation Checkpoints: How to Stay on Course
Learn how to use checkpoints and regular position checks to confirm that you are following the planned route and identify errors early.
Lesson 28 — Navigating Without Relying on GPS
Learn how to navigate using traditional map and compass techniques while treating GPS as a useful backup rather than your primary navigation method.
Lesson 29 — Advanced Navigation in Difficult Terrain
Learn how terrain, steep ground, complex paths, poor visibility and other challenges affect navigation and how to adapt your techniques accordingly.
Fire Expert Challenge
Description:
Navigate a Multi-Checkpoint Route
Challenge:
Choose a suitable walking area and plan a route with at least 4 navigation checkpoints.
Mark the checkpoints on your map and identify how you will recognise each one.
Take at least two bearings as part of your route.
Use your map and compass together rather than relying on GPS.
At each checkpoint, confirm your position using more than one piece of navigation information where possible.
Include at least one section where the terrain requires you to think carefully about your route choice.
Record your planned route, checkpoints, bearings and any changes you made during the walk.
Compare your planned route with what actually happened.
What to submit as proof:
Photo of your planned route
Your four checkpoints
At least two bearings
Short explanation of how you confirmed your position
Photo or brief description of the completed route
Any changes you made because of terrain, weather or conditions
Suggested hashtag: #NavigationExpert
STAGE 6 — SURVIVAL MASTER
You have reached the final stage of Navigation Mastery. This assessment is about putting everything you have learned into practice and demonstrating that you can plan and navigate a route safely and independently.
Navigation Mastery Final Assessment
Put your navigation skills into practice by planning and completing a suitable route using the skills you’ve developed throughout Navigation Mastery.
Navigation Master
Complete the Navigation Mastery Challenge and have your practical proof checked to earn the Navigation Master achievement.