Navigation Course
Wilderness Navigation
Olympia's wilderness navigation course includes instruction in maps, compass, GPS, coordinate systems, terrain recognition, and route planning. It includes two in-person lectures, an optional in-person workshop, a day-long field trip, and a final online test. You earn two badges: Basic Navigation and Basic GPS.
Contacts
- Tue, Apr 1, 2025 - Fri, May 9, 2025
- Committee: Olympia Navigation Committee
- Members: $100.00 Guests: $150.00
- Availability: 70 (70 capacity)
- Cancellation & Refund Policy
The Olympia Wilderness Navigation Course has four required activities which you will complete in order. They are:
Three (3) in-person lectures:
- Tuesday, April 1, 2025
- Thursday, April 3, 2025
- Monday, April 14, 2025
Optional Workshop:
- Wednesday, April 16, 2025
In-person Field Trip:
- Saturday, 26 April, 2025 OR
- Sunday, April 27, 2025
- Register for one.
Online test:
Monday, April 28, 2025 to Friday, May 9, 2025
How to sign up for the course
- Register for this Wilderness Navigation course and pay the fee.
- Register for the lectures. (See tab below.)
- Register for the Workshop (if you wish).
- Register for one of the In-person Field Trip dates.
- Link to final test will be sent to students who've attended all lectures and the field day.
What to do next
- Obtain the equipment listed in the Required Equipment tab below. Since you may have to order these on-line, do not delay. You have to have these items in time for use during the lectures.
- Review the material in the Course Materials tab below.
- Start reading the “Wilderness Navigation” book.
Badges
This course earns you two badges: Basic Navigation and Basic GPS. The Basic Navigation badge is required for Alpine Scrambling and Climbing course completion. The Basic Navigation badge is valid for 3 years.
Badges you will earn:
Basic Navigation Course
Basic GPS Course
| Course Activity | Date | Availability | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| (In Person style) Olympia Navigation Lecture # 1 | |||
| Olympia Friends Meeting House |
Tue, Apr 1, 2025
Registration opens Dec 16; Instructor registration open now
|
60
participants
9 instructors
|
|
| (In Person style) Olympia Navigation Lecture # 2 | |||
| Olympia Friends Meeting House |
Thu, Apr 3, 2025
Registration opens Dec 16; Instructor registration open now
|
60
participants
9 instructors
|
|
| (In Person style) Olympia Navigation Lecture # 3 | |||
| Olympia Friends Meeting House |
Mon, Apr 14, 2025
Registration opens Dec 16; Instructor registration open now
|
60
participants
9 instructors
|
|
| In-person Workshop (optional) | |||
| Squaxin Park |
Wed, Apr 16, 2025
Registration opens Dec 16
|
39
participants
|
|
| Olympia Navigation Field Trip | |||
| Kennedy Creek |
Sat, Apr 26, 2025
Registration closes Apr 24
|
60
participants
9 instructors
|
|
| Kennedy Creek |
Sun, Apr 27, 2025
Registration closes Apr 25
|
60
participants
9 instructors
|
|
Besides the 10 essentials for the field trip, this course requires the following:
- Book. “Wilderness Navigation,” 3rd edition, by Burns and Burns
- Compass. You’ll need to have an appropriate compass before the lectures in April. This blog entry has useful advice. See below for more details.
- Smartphone with Gaia and CalTopo GPS apps. Details below.
Your compass MUST have the following features:
- Adjustable declination. Some compasses are sold with “declination scale,” which means the declination is NOT adjustable. Avoid models with “tool-free adjustment.” In practice, these are very hard to adjust.
- A transparent, rectangular base plate. You’ll need the transparency and the straight edges for plotting and triangulating on the map. Avoid models with small, oval, or tinted baseplates.
- Degrees in 2-degree increments and marked from 0 to 360°. You’ll need the accuracy of the 2‑degree increments. Avoid compasses called “quadrant,” that are marked 0-90° four times around the bezel.
- Meridian lines. These lines are marked inside the rotating dial and are parallel with the north-south line.
Examples of useful models:
- K&R Alpin, Horizon, and Sherpa BW2 models
- Silva Explorer PRO, Ranger 2.0
- Suunto M-3D, MC25, and MC-2D
A smartphone with the Gaia and CalTopo GPS apps are used for the coursework and the field day. Any recent smartphone has a GPS chip in it and can be used with the GPS apps, which is available for both iOS and Android. Gaia GPS Premium is available as a Mountaineers Member Benefit, at no cost for the first year. You must have the Smartphone set up with Gaia and CalTopo GPS Premium before coming to the field trip.
A standalone GPS unit may be used instead of the Gaia and CalTopo apps combination, but you are responsible for knowing how your unit works. Our instructors cannot be experts in all of the different models available. If you have a smartphone, download Gaia and CalTopo GPS. You’ll find them useful.
| Name/Description |
|---|
| Romer 1:24000 A 1:24000 Romer that you can print, especially if you have transparencies (remember them?). |
| UTMCornerRomers.pdf Another Romer you can print. This one has several scales and a different design, which might be more useful when printed on regular paper. |
| Order Romer from Maptools.pdf Or you can order a plastic Romer from Maptools by following the link in this document. |