We do more than just learn to navigate on the MountainSphere nav weekends. Some nav weekends are cold and we sit around the campfire drinking schnapps and roasting marshmallows. Sometimes we have cultural experiences where a family cooks for the group. Sometimes it rains, once it snowed, and sometimes we have a knowledgeable botanist who shares their knowledge of the abundant wildflowers we see in the spring. On this navigation weekend we took time out to enjoy swimming in the crystal clear water of the Wollangambe River on a hot and dry weekend. And we camped in an amazing peaceful crater. We even got up at midnight to look for the meteor shower that never happened! We were accompanied by abundant numbers of flies on this weekend also! It was a really fun and diverse group of people on this navigation weekend and everyone had a great time and enjoyed the hike as well as learning an enormous amount of new navigation skills which will equip them with increased confidence and self sufficiency on their next forays and adventures into wild places. Thank you to everyone who came on this fun and enjoyable navigation weekend!

The forecast for Saturday was for afternoon thunderstorms, possibly severe, so the possibility of lightning had to be considered. But what eventuated was no more than some rain during the afternoon and no thunderstorms or lightning. And Sunday was one of the finest days we’ve had for a while and not too hot. 6 navigators attended this, the first navigation weekend of the 2024 autumn season. Everyone had a great time and learned heaps, and we had the entire area to ourselves except when we crossed paths with one or two other walkers at Sunday lunchtime. Despite the rain on Saturday the group learned all about how to plan and hike a route in such a way as to navigate accurately even when off trail in a wilderness environment. And throughout the walk learning new techniques to fill the navigation toolbox with skills for future adventures. The rain stopped during the evening which we spent in a very comfortable location in the wilderness, surrounded by beautiful sandstone formations in a very special area. A great weekend enjoyed by all.

A really nice group of 8 joined the most recent navigation weekend. It was one of the rare occasions of little or no wind throughout the weekend in what is a frequently very windy area. Both days were fine, calm and mild in weather, with some gentle rain during the evening. The group were introduced to the principles of navigation during the morning briefing and during the Saturday hike where the navigators practised route planning using terrain to keep their navigation on track. The process of using the compass was also taught and when we reached a viewpoint with fantastic views in all directions, we enjoyed lunch while learning how to identify the features in the terrain around you. When we arrived at camp we saw another group settling in there, they had arrived via a shorter route and were heavily laden with all the essentials for camping out – picnic tables, eskies, suit cases, some on wheels, the sort of luggage you’d expect to see at an airport but perhaps not in the Wollangambe Wilderness. We therefore chose to camp in an alternative location not far away, still very beautiful and peaceful, but out in the open. Gentle rain gradually set in during the evening, most of us had already enjoyed wine, cheese crackers and dinner before the rain settled in. So it was early off to bed. On Sunday morning the clouds soon cleared to a fine day and the clients navigated a different and longer route back to Bell, learning additional skills on the way, using tracks and trails where they existed, and using recognisable landmarks to work out your location. By late afternoon we had arrived back at the cars, well satisfied with a wonderful weekend of training and hiking, with new skills learned and new friends made.

This navigation weekend was rescheduled from the previous weekend due to the extreme rain event that took place during the day and night before the trip. So this last minute rescheduling resulted in fewer people attending. But the weather was absolutely perfect for this weekend with clear skies, mild temperatures and no wind. It was a great group of people and a very enjoyable hike with a huge amount of new skills learned along the way. Both days were full and active, both physically and mentally, with everyone on the trip participating actively in the learning. Each client had several opportunities to lead the way on our hike to find a beautiful campsite in the wilderness. And it was more than just leading the way. Clients learned to plan the route to take advantage of the terrain and the techniques to find the optimal route through rugged country with few tracks or trails. We had a lovely quiet evening at our campsite which we had all to ourselves. Clients even used a rope as a hand line to clamber up a rock slab and learned some new knots and roping skills as a bonus in addition to the navigation training. A great weekend in perfect weather enjoyed by all. Looking forward to the next one already!