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Two days of practical map-and-compass training around Capel Curig—perfect for hillwalkers ready to move off marked paths. Small-group instruction, military- and SAR-informed techniques, and real-world exercises in Snowdonia’s uplands.
Two days of practical map-and-compass training around Capel Curig—perfect for hillwalkers ready to move off marked paths. Small-group instruction, military- and SAR-informed techniques, and real-world exercises in Snowdonia’s uplands.
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Operated by Snowdonia Adventures · Capel Curig, Wales
Intermediate Navigation is a focused two-day field course that takes place in the mountains around Capel Curig in Snowdonia National Park. Meeting at Caffi Siabod (A5, Capel Curig, Betws-y-Coed LL24 0EL), the training moves from sheltered valley tracks to open, pathless upland where map, compass and judgement replace trail markers. Instructors who coach military and mountain rescue personnel lead small groups—training ratios are kept to a maximum of six clients per instructor—so you get extended hands-on time with real-world exercises.
The syllabus builds quickly from basic map-and-compass refreshers to intermediate and advanced techniques useful off marked routes. Expect to practice micro-navigation to small ground features, pacing and timing over varied slopes, quick resection, triangulation, aiming-off and dead-reckoning. You’ll learn to plan multi-leg routes, write route cards and apply Naithsmith’s Rule and Tranter’s corrections for realistic timing. Night and poor-visibility strategies, emergency procedures and practical bad-weather planning are woven into exercises so the skills transfer whether you’re guiding, hillwalking or planning longer traverses.
The setting is one of Snowdonia’s most instructive classrooms: glacially carved valleys, slate crags, peat moor and open ridgelines that demand precise route-finding. Working from map OL17 in 1:25,000 scale and a dependable compass—the instructors recommend the Silva Type 4/54—participants test skills where tracks peter out and features shrink to subtle ground cues. The course stresses situational awareness as much as technique; you’ll learn to read terrain, pick realistic attack points and locate small catching features both on the map and in situ.
This course is ideal for hillwalkers who already have basic map-reading ability and want to step confidently into more complex terrain. It’s not just skills practice: it’s a practical bridge to independent navigation in one of Britain’s most challenging upland landscapes. Snowdonia National Park, established in 1951, has a long mountaineering heritage and these navigation sessions connect modern hillcraft to that history while emphasizing low-impact travel. Bring stout boots, hill kit, a packed lunch and an appetite for focused, practical coaching—by the end of two days you’ll leave with clearer judgment, reliable techniques and the confidence to plan and follow routes beyond the marked path.
Logistics are simple: the course checks in at Caffi Siabod on the A5 before moving to field sites around Capel Curig. Instructors brief you on radio protocols, emergency signalling and survival choices for longer incidents. Bring a working compass and the OL17 map, layers for sudden mountain weather, spare socks and a first-aid kit. A smartphone with offline maps is an acceptable backup, but instruction focuses on map-and-compass techniques. Expect boggy peat, heather and scree underfoot and choose boots accordingly. The repeated, hands-on exercises are designed so most participants leave with tangible navigation improvements after two days. Bring extra water.
challenging.
2 days.
Moderate to fit — participants should be comfortable hiking several hours over uneven, steep and pathless ground.
The course meets at Caffi Siabod, A5, Capel Curig, Betws-y-Coed LL24 0EL for check-in and briefing.
This intermediate course is designed for people with basic map-and-compass familiarity who want to build confidence in open terrain.
Maximum ratios are six clients to one instructor to ensure hands-on coaching.
Smartphones with offline maps are useful backups, but the course emphasizes traditional map-and-compass skills as primary navigation tools.
Dress in layers with waterproof outerwear and bring sturdy hill boots, spare socks, and a packed lunch and water.
Yes — instructors cover emergency signalling, radio protocols and basic survival choices for extended incidents.
Snowdonia National Park was established in 1951 and has a deep mountaineering and rescue heritage reflected in local skills training.
The course emphasizes low-impact travel; stick to fragile peat margins and follow Leave No Trace principles to limit erosion and habitat damage.
Snowdonia Adventures is a Capel Curig–based outdoor guiding company offering guided hikes, scrambles, mountaineering courses, climbing taster days and coasteering across Snowdonia and North Wales. The company specialises in small-group, guided outdoor experiences led by qualified, experienced mountain leaders and instructors who support safe, accessible adventures for fit beginners through to experienced hikers. Trips on the programme include guided ascents of Tryfan and Cnicht, ridge scrambles such as Y Gribin and the Nantlle Ridge, summit routes in the Carneddau, quieter tracks like Rhyd Ddu, waterfall walks to Aber Falls, winter mountaineering courses, rock-climbing taster days, and coastal coasteering sessions on Anglesey. Each trip description specifies terrain, recommended fitness level, and essential equipment; guides manage navigation, route-finding and safety so participants can focus on the landscape. Operating from Capel Curig, Snowdonia Adventures uses locally focused logistics to access central and northern Snowdonian ranges and nearby coasts. Groups are kept intentionally small to maximise guide contact and minimise environmental impact. Training and safety are emphasised on technical days such as winter mountaineering and scrambles; practical skills taught include crampon use, ice-axe techniques, ropework and route planning. Snowdonia Adventures is featured on The Adventure Collective, and works within recognised mountain safety practices and local access guidelines. Clear booking information, pre-trip briefings and experienced, qualified guides make the experiences suitable for those wanting guided mountain days, skills courses or coastal adventures in Snowdonia. Booking details include group size limits, meeting points in Capel Curig, straightforward booking terms and clear safety, cancellation and refund policies.
Book with Snowdonia Adventures