Navigation & Mountain Safety
Learn to navigate the mountains safely.
Map reading, compass skills and mountain safety, taught in plain English for UK hill walkers. Start free, learn at your own pace, and explore with confidence.
10,000+
People taught in person
15+
Years of coaching experience
30-day
Money-back guarantee
The courses
Start free. Go as far as you want.
Three courses, one path: from setting up your phone properly to full map and compass mastery.
The Digital Safety Net
13 short lessons that turn your everyday phone into a reliable backup safety tool.
- The airplane mode battery secret
- Offline maps & OS Locate
- 999 SMS registration
- Instant access on signup
Emergency Protocol Course
Exactly what to do when things go wrong on the hill, taught calmly and step by step.
- The STOP protocol
- Calling rescue: 999 & METHANE
- Casualty care while you wait
- Supports Mountain Rescue 🚁
Mountain Navigation Course
The complete step-by-step system: from anxious walker to confident navigator.
- Full map & compass mastery
- 6 modules + Emergency Protocol included
- Lifetime access & free updates
- 30-day money-back guarantee
🚁 Every enrolment supports Mountain Rescue. A donation from every paid course goes to mountain rescue services across the UK.
The 2026 flagship
Master the map. Trust your compass.
Stop second-guessing your routes. The Mountain Navigation Course gives you the practical skills to read the terrain, pinpoint your location, and make smart decisions when the weather turns.
- Map & compass fundamentals. Turn contour lines into real terrain and shoot accurate bearings.
- Precision route planning. Distances, timings and escape routes before you leave the house.
- Off-trail confidence. Navigate in low visibility, whiteouts and featureless ground.
1-to-1 coaching
Prefer to talk it through with a real instructor?
Book a video coaching call with a qualified Mountain Leader. Send your routes or questions in advance and get detailed, personal feedback.
30 minutes, 1-to-1 on video
- Pick a time that suits you
- Send your routes or questions over
- We go through them together
Book at least 24 hours ahead so there’s time to look at what you send.
Coming next
More mountain skills, on the way.
All five are already planned. Join today and they land in your dashboard as they ship, at no extra cost.
Coming 2026
Reading Weather
Read a mountain forecast properly, and know how to react when the weather turns on you halfway round.
Coming 2026
Route Planning
Design safe multi-day itineraries: realistic pacing for your group, British weather windows, and backup routes that actually work.
Coming 2026
Expedition Skills
Multi-day adventures end to end — camp craft, sleep systems, food, logistics and packing for overnights in the Lakes, Snowdonia or Scotland.
Coming 2026
Traversing Tricky Terrain
Move well on loose scree, wet boulder fields, slick mud and late snow. Read the micro-terrain and stay balanced and unhurt.
Coming 2026
Keeping Dogs Safe
Teach your dog to behave in the mountains so they stay safe and have as good a day as you do.
Free guides
Not ready to commit? Read first.
Years of navigating whiteouts, bogs and tricky fells, written up so you don’t have to learn the hard way.
How to Read a Map Scale: What the Numbers Actually Mean
Read the guide →
How to Use a Compass on a Map: A Beginner’s Guide
Read the guide →
Summer Hill Walking Tips: How Warm Weather Changes the Hills
Read the guide →
Navigation Course Online: What You Get, and Who It’s For
Read the guide →
How to Preview a Walking Route by Flying Through Google Earth
Read the guide →
OS Map Numbers: Which Ordnance Survey Map Covers Your Area?
Read the guide →The honest answer
So do you still need an instructor?
A day on the hill with a good instructor is the fastest way to learn navigation. I’m not going to pretend otherwise — it’s how I’ve taught for fifteen years, and it’s what I’d recommend if you can get it.
But a day is a day. You’ll cover a lot, forget some of it on the drive home, then wait months for another chance to practise. What you learn here you can go back to the night before every walk, for as long as you’re walking. And if the cost or the diary is what’s stopping you, this gets you started on your own rather than not at all.
Plenty of people do both: learn the theory here, then spend their instructor day actually practising instead of taking notes.
🧭 Not sure where you’d start?
Eight questions, about two minutes. Find out where your navigation actually stands and what to work on first.
Prefer to learn on the hill?
Thinking about learning this in person?
I run navigation days in the hills alongside the online courses. Tell me roughly where you are and what you’d want to cover, and I’ll let you know when dates open. No obligation, and I won’t add you to anything else.
Free course
Start with the free Digital Safety Net course
13 short lessons that turn your phone into a reliable safety tool. Free, instant access, and you’ll see exactly how we teach before spending a penny. Includes the full Navigation Resources Pack.
- The airplane mode battery secret
- Offline maps that work anywhere
- 999 SMS registration
- The touchscreen rain fix
- Finding your grid reference
- Medical ID & backup apps
🎒 Get free instant access
Create your free account and all 13 lessons unlock straight away. No card details.
Instant access. No spam, ever. Unsubscribe any time.
🧭 Not sure which course fits your level? Take the 2-minute Nav Skills Quiz
Ready when you are
The hills are waiting for you.
Learn the skills to keep yourself and the people around you safe, so you can stop worrying and start exploring.