NNAS BRONZE AWARD

This 2-day NNAS Bronze Award is ideal for beginners, and gives you the key skills you need to safely and enjoyably walk in the countryside. With two days to learn, practice and consolidate, this course is your ‘passport to freedom’ on the hills. Learning outcome – plan and follow your own walks in the countryside using paths, tracks and Rights of Way.

THE COMPLETE OUTDOOR SKILLS COURSE

• Learn new outdoor skills
• Be more confident outdoors
• Learn to read a map and use a compass
• Move from passively following a phone app to actively navigating
• Know how GPS / mapping apps back up your map & compass
• Increase your enjoyment of the countryside
• Plan your own walks and not rely on others
• Navigation strategies & decision making
• Accurate distance estimation (visual, timing, pacing)
• Understand and visualise contours
• Stay safe on the hills
• Explore more and visit new areas
• Leave feeling inspired and ready to do more!
• Gain a National Award (NNAS)

Our NNAS Bronze course will give you the skills you need to stride out with confidence and enhance your enjoyment of walking in the countryside using Rights of Way. From route planning and weather forecasts to detailed map work and navigation strategies, this NNAS Bronze course provides the key foundations and building blocks for good navigation and hill skills, giving you the confidence and knowledge to plan and follow your own walks in the countryside.

Learning is informal and relaxed, with plenty of practical experience out in the Yorkshire Dales countryside, within a small group of up to 8 people. We cover around 6 to 8 miles each day, following paths across farmland, valleys, riversides, woodland, hills and moorland in the Yorkshire Dales.

This course includes both training and assessment of the Bronze Award, delivered over the 2 days.

Our courses are based at these Yorkshire Dales villages

Askrigg, Wensleydale
Austwick, Crummackdale
Grassington, Wharfedale
Malham, Malhamdale
Reeth, Swaledale

TESTIMONIALS

“Attending the NNAS & compass skills courses provided me with the skills, knowledge and confidence to enable me to fulfil my dream of walking the Pennine Way.” Catherine McDonnell

“I am so glad I decided to take the NNAS bronze course. I learnt a huge amount and it has massively boosted both my confidence and my enthusiasm. Quite apart from all that, Mark is an excellent walking companion with interesting views on any subject you care to throw at him.” Nikki Duffy

“The navigation was incredibly well taught, with our skills being repeatedly put into practice to reinforce them. I also found Mark’s local knowledge of the area we walked in and the advice and information we were given about keeping ourselves safe on the moors great.” A. Davies

“Just wanted to say how much we enjoyed the weekend! We both learned a great deal and will be much more confident to try out more adventurous routes in the future. Thanks very much for your expert knowledge and sympathetic tutoring.” A. Bryan

PRE-COURSE

6 Video Tutorials – unlimited access to our six online video tutorials. Watching these videos before the course will allow us more practical time outdoors.

• Weather Forecasts & Conditions
• Route Planning (maps & digital)
• Essential Kit & Looking after Yourself
• Understanding OS Maps & Symbols
• Practical Map Reading (filmed at Grassington, Yorkshire Dales)
• Navigation Strategies

DAY ONE

9:30am: Meet at a village car park in the Yorkshire Dales (with facilities).
9:30am – 4:30pm: Full day’s map, compass and navigation training in the Yorkshire Dales with Mark Reid. The walk will usually cover around 6 miles over the day, with plenty of rest stops and time to practice skills and ask questions.
4:30pm – 5pm: De-brief back at the village.
Evening: Route planning exercise.

DAY TWO

9:30am: Meet at a village car park in the Yorkshire Dales (with facilities). Summary of learning objectives, and areas to focus on during the day.
9:30am – 4:30pm: Full day’s walk in the Yorkshire Dales, with each person navigating a leg of the route. The walk will usually cover around 6 miles over the day, with plenty of rest stops and learning opportunities.
4:30pm – 5pm: Course feedback and results.

Upon successful completion you will receive a NNAS Bronze Award.

NNAS SILVER AWARD

This 2-day NNAS Silver Award builds upon the Bronze Award and gives you the skills you need to navigate across open country away from paths and tracks, in areas such as the hills and moors of the Yorkshire Dales. You must hold the Bronze Award to attend this course. Learning outcome – plan and follow your own walks across open country.

THE COMPLETE OUTDOOR SKILLS COURSE

• Build on the skills learnt at Bronze Award & apply them on the hills
• How to take and follow a compass bearing
• Use contours and landform as part of your navigation
• Understand the upland environment
• Route choice and strategy on the hills
• Route Simplification – rough and fine navigation
• Dealing with poor visibility (mist and darkness)
• Accurate distance estimation across the hills
• Gain a National Award (NNAS)
• Leave feeling inspired and ready to do more!

The NNAS Silver Award builds on the skills learnt at the Bronze Award, and moves up onto the open hills. This course will give you the skills and confidence to navigate across Open Country, using more natural features and contours, coupled with compass bearings and good distance estimation. We’ll learn about the upland environment and how to deal with poor visibility, including darkness. From contours and compass work to navigation strategies, our NNAS Silver courses will give you the skills you need for the hills.

Learning is informal and relaxed, with plenty of practical experience out on the hills, moors and fells of the Yorkshire Dales, within a small group of up to 8 people. We cover around 8 miles each day, following paths across farmland, valleys, riversides and woodland, as well as pathless terrain across hills, fells and heather moorlands in the Yorkshire Dales.

This course includes both training and assessment of the Silver Award, delivered over the 2 days. There will also be a distance learning Home Study Paper before the course.

Our courses are based at these Yorkshire Dales villages…

Askrigg, Wensleydale
Dent, Dentdale
Grassington, Wharfedale
Hawes, Wensleydale
Kettlewell, Wharfedale
Reeth, Swaledale

TESTIMONIALS

“Attending the NNAS & compass skills courses provided me with the skills, knowledge and confidence to enable me to fulfil my dream of walking the Pennine Way.” Catherine McDonnell

“I am so glad I decided to take the NNAS bronze course. I learnt a huge amount and it has massively boosted both my confidence and my enthusiasm. Quite apart from all that, Mark is an excellent walking companion with interesting views on any subject you care to throw at him.” Nikki Duffy

“Just wanted to say how much we enjoyed the weekend! We both learned a great deal and will be much more confident to try out more adventurous routes in the future. Thanks very much for your expert knowledge and sympathetic tutoring.” A. Bryan

PRE-COURSE

8 Video Tutorials – unlimited access to our online video tutorials. Watching these videos before the course will allow us more practical time outdoors.

• Weather Forecasts & Conditions
• Route Planning (maps & digital)
• Essential Kit & Looking after Yourself
• Understanding OS Maps & Symbols
• Practical Map Reading (filmed at Grassington, Yorkshire Dales)
• Navigation Strategies
• Understanding Contours
• How & when to use a Compass

DAY ONE

9:30am: Meet at a village car park in the Yorkshire Dales (with facilities).
9:30am – 4:30pm: Full day’s map, compass and navigation training out on the hills, moors and fells of the Yorkshire Dales with Mark Reid. The walk will usually cover around 6 – 8 miles over the day, with plenty of rest stops and time to practice skills and ask questions.
4:30pm – 5pm: Break on the hillside
5pm – 7pm: Evening navigation exercise, followed by de-brief back at the village.

DAY TWO

9:30am: Meet at a village car park in the Yorkshire Dales (with facilities). Summary of learning objectives, and areas to focus on during the day.
9:30am – 4:30pm: Full day’s walk in the Yorkshire Dales, with each person navigating a leg of the route. The walk will usually cover around 6 – 8 miles over the day, with plenty of rest stops and learning opportunities.
4:30pm – 5pm: Course feedback and results.

Upon successful completion you will receive a NNAS Silver Award.

NNAS ‘STRAIGHT TO SILVER’ AWARD

This 3-day NNAS ‘Straight to Silver’ Award is an ideal choice for more experienced walkers who want to develop their skills and confidence further. This ‘Straight to Silver’ course combines the Bronze & Silver Awards in an intensive but enjoyable 3 day course; the Bronze syllabus is covered on the first day, then we move onto the Silver syllabus on the second and third days. Learning outcome – plan and follow your own walks across hills and open country.

THE COMPLETE OUTDOOR SKILLS COURSE

• Learn new outdoor skills
• Be more confident outdoors
• Learn to read and visualise a map
• Move from passively following a phone app to actively navigating
• Know how GPS / mapping apps back up your map & compass
• Learn how to use a compass and take bearings
• Increase your enjoyment of the countryside
• Plan your own walks and not rely on others
• Navigation strategies & decision making
• Route Simplification on the hills – rough and fine navigation
• Accurate distance estimation (visual, timing, pacing)
• Use contours as part of your navigation
• Dealing with poor visibility (mist and darkness)
• Stay safe on the hills
• Explore more and visit new areas
• Leave feeling inspired and ready to do more!
• Gain a National Award (NNAS)

The course combines the NNAS Bronze and Silver awards to give you the skills to navigate in the countryside as well as across the open hills, using more natural features and contours, coupled with compass bearings and good distance estimation. We’ll learn about the upland environment and how to deal with poor visibility, including an evening of night navigation. Our NNAS ‘Straight to Silver’ course will give you the skills you need for the hills.

Learning is informal and relaxed, with plenty of practical experience out on the hills, fells and moors of the Yorkshire Dales, within a small group of up to 8 people. Our NNAS ‘Straight to Silver’ course covers the essential skills and techniques to navigate using Rights of Way (paths and tracks) in the countryside as well as across Open Country away from paths and tracks, using compass bearings and contour interpretation to navigate successfully, even in poor visibility. We cover around 8 miles each day, following paths across farmland, valleys, riversides and woodland, as well as pathless terrain across hills, fells and heather moorlands in the Yorkshire Dales.

This course includes both training and assessment of the Silver Award, delivered over the 3 days. There will also be a distance learning Home Study Paper before the course.

Our courses are based at these Yorkshire Dales villages…

Askrigg, Wensleydale
Dent, Dentdale
Grassington, Wharfedale
Hawes, Wensleydale
Kettlewell, Wharfedale
Reeth, Swaledale

TESTIMONIALS

“Attending the NNAS & compass skills courses provided me with the skills, knowledge and confidence to enable me to fulfil my dream of walking the Pennine Way.” Catherine McDonnell

“I am so glad I decided to take the NNAS bronze course. I learnt a huge amount and it has massively boosted both my confidence and my enthusiasm. Quite apart from all that, Mark is an excellent walking companion with interesting views on any subject you care to throw at him.” Nikki Duffy

“Just wanted to say how much we enjoyed the weekend! We both learned a great deal and will be much more confident to try out more adventurous routes in the future. Thanks very much for your expert knowledge and sympathetic tutoring.” A. Bryan

PRE-COURSE

8 Video Tutorials – unlimited access to our online video tutorials. Watching these videos before the course will allow us more practical time outdoors.

• Weather Forecasts & Conditions
• Route Planning (maps & digital)
• Essential Kit & Looking after Yourself
• Understanding OS Maps & Symbols
• Practical Map Reading (filmed at Grassington, Yorkshire Dales)
• Navigation Strategies
• Understanding Contours
• How & when to use a Compass

DAY ONE

9:30am: Meet at a village car park in the Yorkshire Dales (with facilities).
9:30am – 4:30pm: Full day’s map, compass and navigation training in the Yorkshire Dales with Mark Reid. The walk will usually cover around 6 miles over the day, with plenty of rest stops and time to practice skills and ask questions.
4:30pm – 5pm: De-brief back at the village.
Evening: Route planning exercise.

DAY TWO

9:30am: Meet at a village car park in the Yorkshire Dales (with facilities).
9:30am – 4:30pm: Full day’s map, compass and navigation training out on the hills, moors and fells of the Yorkshire Dales with Mark Reid. The walk will usually cover around 6 – 8 miles over the day, with plenty of rest stops and time to practice skills and ask questions.
4:30pm – 5pm: Break on the hillside
5pm – 7pm: Evening navigation exercise, followed by de-brief back at the village.

DAY THREE

9:30am: Meet at a village car park in the Yorkshire Dales (with facilities). Summary of learning objectives, and areas to focus on during the day.
9:30am – 4:30pm: Full day’s walk in the Yorkshire Dales, with each person navigating a leg of the route. The walk will usually cover around 6 – 8 miles over the day, with plenty of rest stops and learning opportunities.
4:30pm – 5pm: Course feedback and results.

Upon successful completion you will receive a NNAS Silver Award.

NNAS GOLD AWARD

This advanced 2-day NNAS Gold Award course gives you the skills needed to navigate across any area of open country including mountainous terrain in areas such as the Yorkshire Dales or Lake District. This course includes complex contour features, detailed compass work, dealing with poor visibility, route planning on the hill, continuous location, appropriate navigational strategies. You must hold the Silver Award (or HML / ML training) to attend this course.
Learning outcome – plan and follow safe routes away from paths and tracks in any area of open country.

THE COMPLETE OUTDOOR SKILLS COURSE

• Use contours as the prime method of navigation
• Use slope aspect as part of your strategy
• ‘Ground to Map’ and ‘Map to Ground’ compass bearings
• Relevant compass work, including ‘quick’ bearings and position lines
• Continuous location in the landscape and on the map
• Deal with poor visibility and/or demanding conditions
• Navigate accurately across intricate and complex terrain
• Select appropriate techniques within an overall navigation strategy.
• Sound knowledge of the upland environment
• Gain a National Award (NNAS)

The NNAS Gold Award develops skills to navigate across any area of open country, including complex and demanding terrain with intricate contour features, and takes the use of the compass onto an advanced level. Poor visibility, quick recognition of error, being able to re-plan quickly on the hill, continuous location and selection of the most appropriate technique for your strategy, the NNAS Gold Award gives you the skills to navigate across remote hills and fells.

Learning is informal and relaxed, with plenty of practical experience out on the hills and fells of the Yorkshire Dales, within a small group of up to 4 people. Our NNAS Gold course covers the advanced skills and techniques to navigate across complex terrain in challenging conditions across Open Country away from paths and tracks. We cover around 8 miles each day following pathless terrain across hills, fells and heather moorlands in the Yorkshire Dales.

This course includes both training and assessment of the Gold Award, delivered over the 2 days. There will also be a distance learning Home Study Paper both before and after the course, as well as a 5-minute talk during the course on an outdoor topic of your choice.

Our courses are based from these Yorkshire Dales villages…

Grassington,Wharfedale
Hawes, Wensleydale
Sedbergh, Howgill Fells

TESTIMONIALS

“Attending the NNAS & compass skills courses provided me with the skills, knowledge and confidence to enable me to fulfil my dream of walking the Pennine Way.” Catherine McDonnell

“I am so glad I decided to take the NNAS bronze course. I learnt a huge amount and it has massively boosted both my confidence and my enthusiasm. Quite apart from all that, Mark is an excellent walking companion with interesting views on any subject you care to throw at him.” Nikki Duffy

“Just wanted to say how much we enjoyed the weekend! We both learned a great deal and will be much more confident to try out more adventurous routes in the future. Thanks very much for your expert knowledge and sympathetic tutoring.” A. Bryan

PRE-COURSE

8 Video Tutorials – unlimited access to our online video tutorials. Watching these videos before the course will allow us more practical time outdoors.

• Weather Forecasts & Conditions
• Route Planning (maps & digital)
• Essential Kit & Looking after Yourself
• Understanding OS Maps & Symbols
• Practical Map Reading (filmed at Grassington, Yorkshire Dales)
• Navigation Strategies
• Understanding Contours
• How & when to use a Compass

Home Study Papers
There are pre-course and post-course distance learning Home Study Papers to complete, as well as a 5-minute talk to prepare which you will deliver during the course on an outdoor topic of your choice.

DAY ONE

9:30am: Meet at a village car park in the Yorkshire Dales (with facilities).
9:30am – 4:30pm: Full day’s map, compass and navigation training out on the hills, moors and fells of the Yorkshire Dales with Mark Reid. The walk will usually cover around 8 – 10 miles over the day, with plenty of rest stops and time to practice skills and ask questions.
4:30pm – 5pm: Break on the hillside
5pm – 7pm: Evening navigation exercise, followed by de-brief back at the village.

DAY TWO

9:30am: Meet at a village car park in the Yorkshire Dales (with facilities). Summary of learning objectives, and areas to focus on during the day.
9:30am – 4:30pm: Full day’s walk, with each person navigating a leg of the route across complex terrain (we usually cover around 8 – 10 miles over the course of the day). Each person will also deliver a 5-minute presentation during the walk about an outdoor, environmental or geography topic that interests them.
4:30pm – 5pm: Course feedback and results.

Upon successful completion you will receive a NNAS Gold certificate.