Better to be on the hill – than over the hill
Hopefully by now you have had the chance to practice your navigation and map reading skills and have enjoyed a few walks. It is important that you keep practicing your skills, even after 50 years of map reading, I still find the practice beneficial. What I am going to cover in this section are the …
Recently, I have been reading a series of brilliant blogs by Richard King aka the BionicOldGuy. A Mechanical Engineer in his mid 60's with a lifelong passion for the outdoors - very much a man after my own heart. He chronicles his efforts to stay fit, healthy and active despite all the curved balls that …
Today we will be looking at more advanced navigation techniques. These are designed to get you to and from your target location when the visibility is poor or there are a lack of good features. They include a means of using potential navigational errors to your advantage, or ensuring you leave a summit safely and …
There was a time, in my youth, when the word 'hip' meant good, cool, trendy. Now, these days, it means pain, suffering and a challenge. It constantly amuses me watching all of my outdoor colleagues doing exactly what I was doing 50 years ago, knowing full well the pain they will suffer later in life. …
Whenever I plan a new route in an area I have never been to before, I never know what is going to turn up. In most cases I have nothing more than a damned good walk but occasionally something special happens. This is the case with this particular walk. Where I live, at the …
Before we can start to plan a route, it is important that we understand how to calculate the timings of each leg of our walk. This can be done by using Naismith’s Rule. Naismith’s Rule Naismith's Rules was created as a means of using distance and ascent to calculate the time taken to complete a …
Whilst this is intentionally directed at the older person, the same ethos applies to all age groups. It is important that we try to keep as fit and healthy as we can. It is appreciated that this is not always possible, and some will always struggle to maintain any level of fitness due to underlying …
Introduction To The Compass The compass is an essential tool for the hill-walker. It is a precision instrument that can bring about the success or failure of an expedition. However, to the beginner it can also be a very bewildering piece of equipment. So we will start by identifying the key elements of the compass. …
I was once told that the two most important purchases in your life are your shoes and your bed. The reason for this is that you are either in one or the other! Care for your feet is imperative if you are to avoid problems as you grow older. Painful or malformed feet can lead …
We are now going to take the line, that the map is like a book that needs to be read, one stage further. What we are going to do is plan a simple route (write a story) and then go for a walk to understand the story the map is telling you. This is where …
