The natural Navigation: The Right Course, Naturally

Day in, day out, paths experience a different life to that of their verges.

Very often there is undergrowth on each side of a path, sheltering one side of them from the sun’s drying rays, but their exposure to and shelter from wind also sets them apart. This can be seen most clearly when snow or frost is thawing. The path will either thaw first, or, as in this picture which I took about ten days ago, they hold onto their snow for longer.

As I mention in the book, this is something that can be of value when walking at night. If the path is big, bold and broad like this one (an old Roman road) then no help is needed in following a path at night, but if you are following one of those less clearly defined snakes in the grass then all help will be welcome.…

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One of the natural navigation techniques that ocean sailors have used for centuries is noticing that the incidence of flotsam and jetsam increases, on average, as you get closer to land.

A similar principle can be used on land to find towns or villages. The number of roads, paths, power lines and communication cables increases as you get nearer a town; of course light and noise pollution also increase. There are some more ‘lateral’ clues too.

On the weekend I was walking with friends in the South Downs. My friend had the map and so I did not know exactly how far we were from our lunch stop, the George and Dragon pub in the West Sussex village of Burpham. We had been walking for about 9 miles, in deep snow and along slushy paths. We were hungry, which can help sharpen the senses.

I knew that we were…

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On outdoor courses one of the ways that I try to keep participant’s senses sharp is by telling them that I expect them to spot something that I have not, even if we are walking a route that I know well.

This photo from the Pathfinder course on Saturday shows a phenomenon that I am very familiar with, but an example that my trainee, Guy, spotted before me.

There are a lot of great wayfinding methods that revolve around deducing prevailing wind direction. It is always worth looking for lee build-up. It works in most parts of the world, and doesn’t matter whether we are looking for snow, sand or leaves. In this case last year’s dead and discarded corn leaves and husks lie in the lee of the westerly winds that had been dominating for the past…

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