Beginner's Navigation course

Beginner's Navigation course

A one day, intro to map reading and navigation course. Gain the knowledge, skills and confidence to start creating your own adventures.

By Milestone Outdoors

Date and time

Sat, 14 Jun 2025 09:30 - 16:30 GMT+1

Location

Alpkit Betws-y-Coed

Holyhead Road Betws-y-Coed LL24 0BW United Kingdom

Refund Policy

Refunds up to 7 days before event

About this event

  • Event lasts 7 hours

Welcome to the Beginner's Navigation course!

Date: Sun 27th Apr, 2025

Time: 09:30 AM - 4.30 PM

Location: Betws-y-Coed, ALPKIT Betws-y-Coed, Holyhead Rd, LL24 0BW

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This course is designed for beginners with little to no experience in map reading or navigation.
Skill and confidence go hand in hand, and by the end of the day, you'll have gained both.

Starting with an introduction to maps session over a coffee. We will cover some of the basics, Including:

- Understanding map symbols
- Map scales and what they mean
- How to measure distances on a map
- Basic navigation strategies
- Discuss the use of phones as a tool for navigation

After this, we will go out into the surrounding countryside and put these new skills into practice.

The route we take can be adapted for different abilities. Due to the beautiful landscape of Betws-y-Coed there will be a bit of hill walking involved. However, we will be going at a steady pace and stopping lots to get the best opportunity to learn the navigation skills that we want.


What do I need to bring?

A rucksack
Warm layers (and a spare in your bag)
Waterproof top and bottom
Boots
Gloves and a warm hat
Minimum 1 litre of water, and/or hot drink in a flask for cold days.
Food - A packed lunch and snacks
Suncream if you are feeling optimistic
A head torch (We may be finishing after sunset, depending on the time of year)
Any Medication you may need.

Optional - your own map and compass if you have one (We will provide these if needed)

The course will start and end at the same point. Running roughly from 9.30am to 4.30pm.
We will have no more than 6 participants on each course. Keeping the groups small allows us to spend more time catering the course as best as possible for you.


By booking onto this course a percentage will be donated towards the ALPKIT Foundation.

Need to buy some supplies? By attending the course you will receive a discount on any purchases you make on the day of the course.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to gain confidence in your navigation abilities!


Frequently asked questions

Are there any toilets?

Yes. We start off from the store where there will be facilities that we will be able to use at the start of the day before going out onto the hills.

Where can I park?

There are plenty of car parks nearby. There is also some limited on street parking around.

Is equipment included?

Navigation equipment will be provided. Map and compass. If you wish to bring your own along please do. We can discuss its suitability and practice using it too. You may want to bring a pen and paper to take notes too if you wish.

What should I wear?

You will need to come prepared to spend the whole day outdoors. It may be wet and windy at times so please make sure you have waterproof trousers and tops. We recommend strong sturdy foot wear with good grip. For most this maybe walking boots. We mainly stick to paths and tracks but not always.

What else should I bring?

Spare warm layers can be helpful. Any medication you may need. A hot flask for a drink and some high energy snacks can also be a nice treat. There will be a quick opportunity before we leave the classroom to get any supplies from the shop too so maybe bring some money too.

Can children come on the course?

This is an over 18s only event

Can I bring dogs on the course?

Walking with your four legged friend can be a great experience. They can be a distraction though and to get the most from your day I prefer you leave your dog at home.

How far will we walk?

Around 10km. We will be going at a steady pace

Organised by

Milestone Outdoors

Over a recent years, there has been a burst of enthusiasm to explore what the great outdoors has to offer.

Our goal is simple. To help you to create your own adventures.

Building confidence, skills and knowledge is the way we believe to do this.