I am pleased to announce that I will be providing the Bronze NNAS Course for the Love Her Wild community this coming year. I am also delighted to welcome Becky Jeffrey to my small team, who will be co-leading the course with me to enable a fully women-led, women-only course.
Accommodation is not provided for this course; however, the course is delivered in a very central Peak District location near Hathersage, with many accommodation options for all budgets within a small area. Public transport within the area is very good, and I actively encourage participants to take advantage of this to reduce the impact on the local environment and communities. Sheffield is only a 20 min bus ride away with a regular and reliable service, so this may be an alternative location to base yourself. The Sheffield/Manchester train line is also accessible and within easy reach of the start of the course. If necessary, station pick-ups are available – please contact me to discuss. The main villages/towns that would also be good bases for the weekend are Edale, Hope, Castleton, Grindleford, Bamford, and Eyam – all within a 20 min drive or on the train/bus line.
The Bronze National Navigation Award is a practical hands-on award aimed at people with limited or no navigation experience.
Course Syllabus
- How to read and take a grid reference
- Using a map and compass to find North and set your map
- How to interpret terrain based on map contours
- Using map symbols and scales on a variety of maps
- Orientating the map with and without a compass
- How to use an orientated map to identify land features and indicate direction of travel
- Choosing simple navigation strategies and routes
- Using linear features, such as a paths or rivers as handrails in simple navigation exercises
- Estimating distance and time on both map and ground
- How to plan a safe walk and what to do in an emergency
- Relocation techniques if lost
- Your access rights and responsibilities in the countryside
- Please note that the syllabus for the Bronze NNAS does not include how to take a bearing, but it is discussed
Day 1
- Welcomes, course introduction and theory
- Practical session outdoors
- Lunch break during the practical session (please bring lunch, no refreshments en route)
Day 2
- Route planning for your own walk (indoor theory)
- Practical session outdoors, consolidating all content from day 1
- De-brief and questions
- Assessment outcomes
Equipment
Maps and compasses are provided.
- Waterproofs (Upper and lower body)
- Warm layers (including spare items for any emergencies in your kit bag)
- Hats/gloves (appropriate to time of year)
- Any food/water/hot flask (there are no refreshments en route during the day)
- Personal medications and suncream
- Supportive and appropriate footwear
- Headtorch (for emergency use only)
- Gaiters are optional, but I do find they keep my boots drier for longer and protect my legs and trousers from the heather/gorse/bracken*
- A stopwatch or watch with a stopwatch function*
- Notebook, if you like to make notes*
- Sit mat*
- Walking poles if needed*
(*optional)
Upon successful completion of the course, the NNAS will send you a digital certificate that you can download. If you would like a printed certificate, there is an additional £10 charge payable at the end of the course. The NNAS Bronze award is accredited by the Scottish Credit & Qualifications Framework ( SCQF) at Level 4, and 2 SCQF credit points are awarded on completion. Whilst there is a very informal and friendly assessment process at the end of the course, if you are only interested in the course and don’t want the qualification, you do not have to be assessed. (The price is the same.)
More Information
If you have any questions or want more information, get in touch via the contact page, or email.
Consent Forms – Medical Consent forms must be completed before the course starts. You can find the forms here.
NNAS Registration – For more information about the course content and syllabus, visit the NNAS website. Before attending this course, you must register with the NNAS via JustGo.
Love Her Wild courses, delivered by Emma Holland Mountain Training, have a no refund, no transfer policy. You can also read my own Terms and Conditions here.
