Course Offerings

 
Required Preparation for the Basic Navigation course
 
There is an extensive required reading assignment before the start of each course (almost 100 pages). In addition, you must have a suitable compass, and two required maps for use at the first session. No joke, we require that you get a good compass (as we define it), so don't just go and buy any old compass, read the compass requirements section of this web page first.
 

The Basic Navigation Course
 

The Navigation Course at present consists of two parts:

  1. A map & compass workshop at the clubhouse (an evening)
  2. A full day field trip at Heybrook Ridge near Index

It is recommended that students in the Seattle Alpine Scrambling course take the navigation course at the time which is embedded within the scramble course. Their orientation is given within the lectures of those courses. Students in the Seattle Snowshoe, Backcountry Skiing or Basic Climbing courses are encouraged to sign up for the November or January/February course offering, but are welcome to take the course at any time.

All others need to be aware that substantial preparation is required before the start of the course (you must do several hours of homework before the first session), the details of which will be sent to you in your registration confirmation letter. The requirements include basic equipment, initial reading assignments and details of how to purchase a suitable compass (also described on this web site).

 

The navigation workshop consists almost entirely of completing an extended problem set under the close supervision and guidance of an instructor. Typically we will have one instructor for every three students, allowing for hands on learning of map and compass skills. The problem set includes:

  • Taking bearings
  • Identifying topographic features
  • Identifying map symbols
  • Working a set of map & compass problems which will lead you into the map, and get you to learn how to use both your map and your compass

 
 

The field trip consists of a full day field trip at Heybrook Ridge. The day starts off with a brisk trail hike from a parking lot to the fire tower on the ridge (900 feet of elevation gain). That is followed by:

  • Taking bearings on stumps
  • Doing a set of story problems with map and compass, using the same stumps
  • Following a bearing cross-country (off trail) for 700 feet (rugged off trail travel)
  • Triangulating your position using your map and the bearings to surrounding mountain peaks
  • A hike farther up the ridge (several hundred more feet of elevation gain)
  • An extended cross country navigation exercise through rugged terrain (rugged off trail travel)

The exercise often occurs in good weather, but may be an even better (more realistic) learning experience in bad weather. The field trip goes rain or sleet or shine.
 
Upon successful completion of the workshop and the field trip, the student is entitled to a Navigation Card, good for navigation requirements for most backcountry courses in the Mountaineers (but not suitable for kayak or sailing navigation). Navigation cards are issued some time after the course ends -- usually in mid-April for all courses (November - March).
 
The course fee is $35.00 for members and non-members..

 

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