The most recent mountain rescue statistics highlight that 60 out of 340, almost 20 percent, of mountaineering incidents were caused by a navigation error. In response to this, The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) has organised several one day training events to help Scottish hill goers with their navigation skills.
MCofS's Mountain Safety Adviser, Heather Morning, says, “Mountaineering incident statistics show that around half of all incidents requiring assistance from a mountain rescue team can be traced back to a navigation error.
“We are running a series of Navigation courses this spring on a not-for-profit basis as part of our Mountain Safety Programme and anyone wishing to learn the basics of mountain navigation or brush up on their skills is encouraged to sign up as soon as possible.
These popular courses will be held at the Ochils Mountain Rescue Base near Alloa and the Lomond Mountain Rescue Base near Drymen in the Campsies. A further course will be held in September in Ullapool.
The one-day MCofS navigation course will give you a gentle introduction to the theory followed by a practical session on the hill. Each qualified mountaineering instructor will take a group of six students and there are spaces for 12 people per course (the minimum age is 18 years).
Heather added “A MCofS Navigation course won’t make you an expert, but it will give you some valuable skills, boost your confidence and potentially make your hill walking more adventurous.”
Full details of the MCofS Navigation courses, including how to book a place on a course, can be found at the MCofS website. Many Mountain Guides also offer navigation skills training, so why not combine a refresher session with tackling a new peak or scramble? Check out the Walkhighlands’ listings for Guides operating across Scotland and in each local mountain area.