Runners
navigation training 2024
Running nav skills days, and route
planning skills, in the Lake District  |
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Course
overview
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Many
popular mountain running races require runners
to navigate the course, and these training
days have been developed specifically for
runners. Your requirements differ from those
of a hill walker, in that you are moving fast
and light, need to choose the best running
line, and to minimise faffing about! |
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You
are taught the runners nav skills by our team
of highly qualified and experienced instructors,
who have run in some of the toughest mountain
running nav events including the OMM, Lakes
in a Day, or Dragons Back. You will be taught
the key skills for all mountain runners, to
keep you on track and safe. |
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You'll
run over high mountainous terrain in the Lake
District national park, with the aim of coaching
you on methods of navigating and route planning,
with a good focus on different methods of
interpreting the map. All of the course is
outside based, with no classroom sessions,
to maximise your experience. |
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To
get the latest weather forecast for the Lake
District, click the Adobe logo for the PDF
from the MWIS, or the mobile logo if on the
move. When you are confident navigating, such
as after one of these courses, you can go
into the mountains in any weather. |
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On
demand: Scheduled
dates are guaranteed once 2 people have booked.
If no scheduled dates suit, we can operate
a bespoke course for the same price, for
a minimum of 2 people booking together (or
1 person paying for 2, i.e. £150). For
bespoke groups of 4+, the price is discounted.
Bespoke dates subject to availability. |
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Dates: these
are listed in the column on the right, and
they show the live availability from our secure
online booking system. When you book online,
you receive immediate confirmation, your Course
Information Booklet, course specific kit list
and invoice. |
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Epic
Mountain Day - Travel by Train: timings
for this day are such that you can arrive in the
Lake District at Windermere at 09:30 on the first
train from London or Manchester (on West Coast main
line), and can depart in the afternoon to get home
the same day, so no accommodation is required. |
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Outline
course itinerary
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Meeting
with your instructor at 09:30 in our Windermere
Office for a quick briefing
about the weather and a kit check, before setting
off for a full hill day. There is a huge variety
of areas to choose from including well known classics
such as Helvellyn and the Langdales, to lesser
visited areas such as the Patterdale side of Fairfield,
or tricky micro-nav areas like Loughrigg Fell.
Sometimes a group has very specific navigational
requirements for a day, and we are able to cater
for these. Examples we have been asked for include
a navigation day for a specific fell race or leg
of the Bob Graham Round, to a group preparing
for their first night run event, who needed more
poor visibility and night navigation skills. Let
us know if you have any special requirements.
The selection of the mountain venue for the training
is always made on the day to cater for the prevailing
conditions, group experience, and where is best
to escape the crowds.
Usually on a day such as this there will be at
least one or two summits that you take in during
the route, so take a packed lunch and snacks to
eat on the hill. Some groups prefer larger mountain
objectives, whilst others want to stay on easier
to access fells to maximise the navigation training
time.
During
the day you will have plenty of opportunity to
ask your instructor for any further advice about
your navigation, and what you can practise on
your own in the future, to develop and maintain
your skills. You can also incorporate an mock
examined element of the day, if you think it would
help build your confidence, with the instructor
right on hand to assist if required.
When
you descent, you return to Windermere in the late
afternoon. We aim to end by 16:00 to allow you
time to travel home, or if you are staying extra
days in the Lake District, then generally the
group
arranges to go out together for food and drinks
in town.
As you hopefully can gather from this outline,
the day is very flexible to cater for your current
standard, and your precise training requirements.
Contact us to book one of these days, and let
us know exactly what you aim to get out of it,
so we can brief the instructor before you arrive.
Let
us know if you have any queries! |
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Prices |
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Standard
course |
1
full day mountain guiding, 1:6 max ratio
1 day holiday in total, usually Sunday |
£75 |
Live
availability |
Click
on the planner logo to the right to
see the real time live course availability
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Secure
online booking system |
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Course Inclusions: 1)
Qualified mountain leader for daily guiding and instruction,
2) All costs and fees for the leader at the course, 3)
The provision of group safety kit (e.g. medical kit &
survival blanket). |
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| Exclusions: 1)
Travel to & from the national park for the course,
2) Equipment hire such as running packs or waterproofs,
3) Bar / food bills & tips, laundry, telephone calls,
4) Accommodation (if required). |
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Current course
availability
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Course Dates
Runners Navigation
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NOTE:
This trip has scheduled
dates, but if there are two who
are booking together, it can be
operated on any date you wish |
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| Client
feedback |
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A
day of thick cloud, but I left totally
confident that I could now go out on
my own in the hills in that weather,
and be no danger to myself or anyone
else. Happy to have gained this confidence
Nick
F , Navigation Course
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Before
the course, I'd lost count of the number
of arguments I'd had over where we were,
but never ever again!
Alan
S , Navigation Course
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Great
day. Learned a huge amount, and pass
on my thanks to the guide
Stan
McD , Navigation
Course
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| Testimonials |
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| Press & media |
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| Films & videos |
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| Photo gallery |
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| Race
recce nav day |
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are often approached for training on specifoc race
routes, so that runners can develop their confidence
on the actual route they will soon race on, or to
help develop their pacing and route strategies on.
Examples of race route nav training we have worked
on include; |
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| • Lakes in a Day |
• Grizedale
26 |
| • 3 Shires Loop |
• Langdale
Race |
| • Tour
de Helvellyn |
• Lakeland
50/100 |
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| Location data
for this trip |
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| The meeting point for these courses is at
our office in Windermere in the Lake District National
Park. There is easy access by car, and the train station
is just 150m from the office door. From here there are
a huge variety of mountain terrain to opt for, so we can
cater for all weather and conditions. We genuinely believe
that the Lake District is second to none with the quality
and quantity of mountain training opportunities. |
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| Key
learning points |
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| • Use of compass and bearings |
| • Aiming
off techniques |
| • Navigating
without a compass |
| • Contour
interpretation methods |
| • Aspect
of slope measurements |
| • Re-section
for location |
| • Setting
the map & scales |
| • Pacing
and timing methods |
| • Route
planning from the map |
| • Search
methods if lost |
| • Use of
the GPS & limitations |
| • Orienteering
skills & training |
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| Why choose our
trips? |
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The photo above
sums it up. All our guiding team for this trip are
locally based, and the Lake District is their home.
They know the mountains like the back of their hand. |
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Our office
base in Windermere is essential for organising local
pre trip logistics and backup support whilst we
are out in the hills. You're looked after on and
off the hill. |
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If you still
have any queries, give us a call on 01539 44 22
17. |
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| Essential reading and tips |
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This guidebook has 40 routes in the Lake District, and with free GPX (GPS) files to help navigation. Lots of top tips, and run lengths from an hour or two, right up to 30 mile race routes. Signed copies available. |
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| This book was written by award-winning author Kingsley Jones, who is also one of our lead UIMLA running guide team. |
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