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Runners navigation training 2024
Running nav skills days, and route planning skills, in the Lake District
Practising skills for moving over steep ground
Course overview

Many popular mountain running races require runners to navigate the course, and these training days have been developed specifically for runners. Your requirements differ from those of a hill walker, in that you are moving fast and light, need to choose the best running line, and to minimise faffing about!
You are taught the runners nav skills by our team of highly qualified and experienced instructors, who have run in some of the toughest mountain running nav events including the OMM, Lakes in a Day, or Dragons Back. You will be taught the key skills for all mountain runners, to keep you on track and safe.
You'll run over high mountainous terrain in the Lake District national park, with the aim of coaching you on methods of navigating and route planning, with a good focus on different methods of interpreting the map. All of the course is outside based, with no classroom sessions, to maximise your experience.
To get the latest weather forecast for the Lake District, click the Adobe logo for the PDF from the MWIS, or the mobile logo if on the move. When you are confident navigating, such as after one of these courses, you can go into the mountains in any weather.
On demand: Scheduled dates are guaranteed once 2 people have booked. If no scheduled dates suit, we can operate a bespoke course for the same price, for a minimum of 2 people booking together (or 1 person paying for 2, i.e. £150). For bespoke groups of 4+, the price is discounted. Bespoke dates subject to availability.
Dates: these are listed in the column on the right, and they show the live availability from our secure online booking system. When you book online, you receive immediate confirmation, your Course Information Booklet, course specific kit list and invoice.
Epic Mountain Day - Travel by Train: timings for this day are such that you can arrive in the Lake District at Windermere at 09:30 on the first train from London or Manchester (on West Coast main line), and can depart in the afternoon to get home the same day, so no accommodation is required.
Outline course itinerary

Meeting with your instructor at 09:30 in our Windermere Office for a quick briefing about the weather and a kit check, before setting off for a full hill day. There is a huge variety of areas to choose from including well known classics such as Helvellyn and the Langdales, to lesser visited areas such as the Patterdale side of Fairfield, or tricky micro-nav areas like Loughrigg Fell.

Sometimes a group has very specific navigational requirements for a day, and we are able to cater for these. Examples we have been asked for include a navigation day for a specific fell race or leg of the Bob Graham Round, to a group preparing for their first night run event, who needed more poor visibility and night navigation skills. Let us know if you have any special requirements.

The selection of the mountain venue for the training is always made on the day to cater for the prevailing conditions, group experience, and where is best to escape the crowds
. Usually on a day such as this there will be at least one or two summits that you take in during the route, so take a packed lunch and snacks to eat on the hill. Some groups prefer larger mountain objectives, whilst others want to stay on easier to access fells to maximise the navigation training time.

During the day you will have plenty of opportunity to ask your instructor for any further advice about your navigation, and what you can practise on your own in the future, to develop and maintain your skills. You can also incorporate an mock examined element of the day, if you think it would help build your confidence, with the instructor right on hand to assist if required.

When you descent, you return to Windermere in the late afternoon. We aim to end by 16:00 to allow you time to travel home, or if you are staying extra days in the Lake District, then generally the group arranges to go out together for food and drinks in town.

As you hopefully can gather from this outline, the day is very flexible to cater for your current standard, and your precise training requirements. Contact us to book one of these days, and let us know exactly what you aim to get out of it, so we can brief the instructor before you arrive.

Let us know if you have any queries!

Course Prices
Standard course
1 full day mountain guiding, 1:6 max ratio
1 day holiday in total, usually Sunday
£75
Live availability
Click on the planner logo to the right to
see the real time live course availability
Latest Availability
Secure online booking system
Standard Course Inclusions: 1) Qualified mountain leader for daily guiding and instruction, 2) All costs and fees for the leader at the course, 3) The provision of group safety kit (e.g. medical kit & survival blanket).
Exclusions: 1) Travel to & from the national park for the course, 2) Equipment hire such as running packs or waterproofs, 3) Bar / food bills & tips, laundry, telephone calls, 4) Accommodation (if required).
Current course availability

Course Dates
Runners Navigation
  • No Dates Available
NOTE: This trip has scheduled
dates, but if there are two who
are booking together, it can be
operated on any date you wish

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Price: £75 Book online

Alternative courses
UK mountain skills weekend
Summer Alpine Intro course
Winter Intro Ice & Alpine

Client feedback

A day of thick cloud, but I left totally confident that I could now go out on my own in the hills in that weather, and be no danger to myself or anyone else. Happy to have gained this confidence

Nick F , Navigation Course


Before the course, I'd lost count of the number of arguments I'd had over where we were, but never ever again!

Alan S , Navigation Course


Great day. Learned a huge amount, and pass on my thanks to the guide

Stan McD , Navigation Course

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Race recce nav day
We are often approached for training on specifoc race routes, so that runners can develop their confidence on the actual route they will soon race on, or to help develop their pacing and route strategies on. Examples of race route nav training we have worked on include;
Lakes in a Day Grizedale 26
3 Shires Loop Langdale Race
Tour de Helvellyn Lakeland 50/100
Location data for this trip
The meeting point for these courses is at our office in Windermere in the Lake District National Park. There is easy access by car, and the train station is just 150m from the office door. From here there are a huge variety of mountain terrain to opt for, so we can cater for all weather and conditions. We genuinely believe that the Lake District is second to none with the quality and quantity of mountain training opportunities.
Key learning points
Use of compass and bearings
Aiming off techniques
Navigating without a compass
Contour interpretation methods
Aspect of slope measurements
Re-section for location
Setting the map & scales
Pacing and timing methods
Route planning from the map
Search methods if lost
Use of the GPS & limitations
Orienteering skills & training
Why choose our trips?
Practising skills for moving over steep ground
The photo above sums it up. All our guiding team for this trip are locally based, and the Lake District is their home. They know the mountains like the back of their hand.
Our office base in Windermere is essential for organising local pre trip logistics and backup support whilst we are out in the hills. You're looked after on and off the hill.
If you still have any queries, give us a call on 01539 44 22 17.
Essential reading and tips
This guidebook has 40 routes in the Lake District, and with free GPX (GPS) files to help navigation. Lots of top tips, and run lengths from an hour or two, right up to 30 mile race routes. Signed copies available.
This book was written by award-winning author Kingsley Jones, who is also one of our lead UIMLA running guide team.


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