Navigation Pre-course

Everyone learns different! Some of us need a little more time, a little more visuals, or a little more practice! We created a pre-course section to give women a chance to start dabbling into the subject you will be learning. One of the biggest steps to mastering navigation is to just learn basic compass and map anatomy. This pre-course material will help you get a head-start on those skills so you can jump into our class or hike with a little more confidence!

Map Anatomy

Understanding how to read a topographic map is an essential skill for navigating the backcountry. Topography allows you to visualize the peaks and valleys of the land through the spacing of lines called contour lines. Whether it be on a paper map or digitally, understanding how these contour lines work will help you make the best decisions in planning your routes.

Topography - the arrangement of the natural and artificial physical features of an area.

Contour Lines

Contour lines are the primary feature you’ll notice on a topographic map. These continuous lines help show the land’s terrain using intervals of elevation gain to translate how it changes. Lines closer together are steep areas, while lines further apart are gentle to flat areas. It may be helpful to visualize contour lines as stacked “layers” of the landscape. A topo map provides a bird’s eye view of those concentric circles, allowing you to “see” both the height and shape of the mountain on the map.

Elevation Intervals:

Your contour lines will include the elevation in which the line equates to every 5-10 lines. This will help you understand the intervals in which the lines represent.

Geographical Features

PEAK: The innermost ring at the center of several contour loops almost always represents a peak (highest elevation). Sometimes the peak will be represented with a small X and number denoting elevation.

CLIFF: If you see two or more lines converge until they appear as a single line, this represents a cliff.

SADDLE: A saddle is a low lying area between two higher points of elevation. Identifying saddles can show you the quickest route through hilly areas. They appear as hourglass shapes between two concentric circles.

VALLEY: When contour lines cross a valley or a stream, they make a sharp pointed V or U-shape. Rivers, of course, are represented by blue lines that will run through the center of the V-shape. Sometimes called draws, the V-shape of this feature always points towards their peak. You can also use a topographic map to determine the direction the river is flowing. Because water flows downhill, the V-shape always points in the opposite direction that the water is flowing. This is called the “Rule of V’s”.

RIDGE LINE: A land form with an elevated crest that slopes down on the sides. Ridges are also shown by “V“ or ”U“ shaped contours, but these “point” downhill, toward lower elevations. Remember, water never runs along ridge tops

FLAT AREA: A flat area will be illustrated by the absence of contour, indicating no elevation gain.

Compass Anatomy

 Compasses come in a lot of shapes and sizes but not all are created equal. Stay clear of “accessory” compasses that usually come in the form of key chains and zipper pulls. They might hit north occasionally but they should not be relied on. Even a compass feature on a multifunction watch doesn’t offer the functionality of a old fashion compass with bezel and baseplate.

Key Terms and Phrases:

  • Direction of travel: This is the direction you plan to move in. Always keep your arrow facing that direction when orienting yourself.

  • “Orient your map”: If you are told to “orient your map”, that means you need to have you and your map facing north. Use your compass and the key on your map to position yourself to face north. This is usually the first step to finding your bearings. Place your compass on the border of your map and turn until your red arrow faces north. We use the border of our maps because it’s a nice, sharp edge that allows us to be consistent.

  • Adjust declination: Because the earth’s magnetic field isn’t exactly perfect, where you are on the planet may require your to adjust your compass to allow you to find “true north”.

Keep your compass away from ferrous metals.

Use your compass away from your car, or metallic objects like a metal picnic table or post and even the electric field from a running car engine can drastically affect your compass’s accuracy.

Compasses We Use

  • Suunto M-3

    The M-3 NH features a needle blanced for northern hemisphere, adjustable declination, scales in metric and imperial, luminescent markings for low light use, and a magnifying lens on a transparent baseplate for easy use with maps

    Amazon

  • Suunto MC-2

    Operable in low light conditions, the MC-2 Compass includes a sighting hole and notch for accurate bearings, declination adjustment tool, and a clinometer

    Amazon