Interesting points from Janet, whose Group does more adventurous walks. A bit of a tangent, but I have noticed that runners, who notoriously will not carry such exotic items such as maps, compasses or even waterproofs, will tend to avoid new routes but flock to the unchanging regulars. Here in East Yorkshire we can easily get more than 400 entrants, 200 plus runners, for December's Rudolph's Romp (24ml) and this year impose a limit with no OTD, but struggle for 90 or so on Capabilities Overview. The former has unchanging paths, the latter is over changing paths and tracks for which access is granted by the local landowners and is dependent on grazing flocks and herds.

I only learned how to use a compass through desperation. On the poppyline 50, many moons ago with my useless ex boyfriend who didn't even have a map, stuck in the middle of a field at night. The RD said follow a bearing of x to a stile - after several failed attempts at locating the stile, I sat down and worked out what the twizzely bit was for on the compass, and.......matched my norths and funnily enough found the stile....but its amazing how many entrants don't know how to find a bearing - I've had to help a few out since, so I wasn't on my own.

Janet, thanks for the advice. Unfortunately it's difficult for me to get much practice at hill or moorland navigation as where I am it's all flat farmland for miles around, which is why I've struggled on challenges in 'wilder' areas. I think a weekend away in the Peak District would be my best bet.

Michael - the LDWA is an “Association of people with the common interest of walking long distances in rural, mountainous or moorland areas.” not an association of people with a common interest of following round the same route year after year .You struggled on the WOW because it was a new route where you were expected to navigate using a map and compass. You obviously want to make the most out of your membership of the Association – good on you. Read all you can about navigation – on line or in a book. Go on a course if you can but the real test is if you can plot your own routes knowing what the country will be like. Get out on your local hills or moorland and test yourself – aim to get from that stream junction to that hill top the most sensible way and try it out. Measure a distance of 100 metres and see how many paces you take to cover that distance. Go out in bad weather and at night as your confidence increases. Make sure you can be a leader not a follower. Good luck.

That must be the secret then - since it's less than a year since I joined, every event has been new to me except the Coventry Way, which I did for a couple of years before I joined the LDWA because it happened to be local to me. I can now do bits of that without recourse to a map, but I don't have a great memory for directions so even if I did it twenty times I'd still need the map for some bits. When I missed a turning on this year's event (the kissing gate is hidden in the hedge) I realised it was exactly the same one I'd missed last year!

No arcane secret - most of the folks have done the same Events for years and years and as the routes mostly don't change you won't see a map or compass used this side of the next millenium

Thanks. The Ramblers page more or less sums up what I already know, the latter part of the OS booklet (p8 onwards) is mostly new to me. Judging from some of the comments on the WOW I was beginning to wonder whether there was some arcane secret of navigation known to everyone on the event except me! I had absolutely no problems with navigation on the Herts Stroller, incidentally.

Same brochure, but fewer pages (smaller print)

http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/docs/leaflets/map-reading-made-easy.pdf

Excellent self teach OS brochure here. Deals with map reading and compass use.

http://www.ordnancesurveyleisure.co.uk/leisure/docs/map-reading-booklet.pdf

Get yourself a decent GPS and a map and off you go! Sufficient skills can be picked up quickly. The Ramblers have a decent summary on Navigation skills (link below) and give references for further study.

http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/practical/navigation-for-walkers

As the one whose moan about the WOW route description prompted the suggestion, I suppose I'd better comment! The only navigation 'training' I've ever done was my Cub map reading badge about 15 years ago, and that mostly just consisted of identifying the symbols on an OS map rather than actually using it to find your way somewhere. Contrary to the impression I apparently managed to give some people on that thread, I can manage basic map reading skills (knowing what a grid reference is, using the scale to work out distances, figuring out which way a given bearing is) and have even been known to get round some of the simpler LDWA challenges without getting too badly lost, but some of the other stuff mentioned (Check Off? Overshoot? Magnetic variation?) is completely beyond me, so a course would probably come in handy.

I think there are a number of courses about, and the FRA run an annual one. Thought perhaps there may be a call for a specific ldwa orientated course, also walkers attending would feel more at ease with other members of the ldwa. Matt.

http://www.pureoutdoor.co.uk/courses/148/Right-Way-in-a-Day-Navigation-Course-and-Map-Reading-Course/?gclid=CPyR0bT9xrECFUcKtAodZk4AMQ

There are some quite good little things on youtube too.

Great Idea something following the format of the FRA navigation weekend would be of great benifit for those that required it.

This is Janet's suggestion following on from the WOW thread. But I wonder if it may be something for the association to seriously consider?

There must be some (especially newcomers to walking in the countryside) that would like to learn and gain some confidence in basic map and compass reading off an OS paper map. Especially if stepping up from led walks, like ramblers or local groups, to ldwa challenge events.

Also include all the electronic gizmos and how best to work them (afraid I wouldn't even know how to turn a GPS on, let alone load it with maps or plot routes) and the ideal tools for the job in hand. Some may wish to go "electronic" but not have a clue where to start - I wouldn't.

It could make for an interesting weekend mixing theory and practical navigation (+ beer afterwards!). I have certainly met members who are too scared to enter a challenge walk on their own, because they cannot navigate. Is this worth promoting for the future to encourage members and help existing ones?
What are your views? Matt.