MountainSphere Adventures | Navigation Weekend 23-24 March 2024

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.