Wayfinding with the Polynesian Voyaging Society
Something a little different today – a guest blog. I am very grateful to Hye Jung Kim and all the team at Project Wayfinder for…
Category: Weather
How to Read Wave Patterns at the Coast
I took this photo from the South West Coast Path in the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, a few days ago. In it we can see…
Temperature Inversion in Yellowstone
My thanks to George Bumann for sending over this great pic of a temperature inversion in Yellowstone Park. During temperature inversions cool air becomes trapped…
New Book Review
The Nature Instinct (the U.S. Edition of ‘Wild Signs and Star Paths‘) has a new review. “Everywhere he looks he discerns evidence of direction, animal…
How to Navigate Using Snow Strips
As is my habit at this time of year, I like to get out early after any overnight snow. The tracking opportunities are spoiling and…
How to Forecast Weather using Twinkling Stars
Rare is the outdoorsperson who is not happy to discuss weather omens – even if it is only to pour scorn on some theory about…
What is a Slick Line?
Slick lines form on water when a very thin layer of oil spreads out across the water. The oil dampens ripples creating calmer patches. Over…
The Why and How of Natural Navigation – TEDx
A fast introduction to my journey into natural navigation, how it works and why we need it, from a TEDx talk I gave in Calgary.
The Wind and Lower Plants
My thanks to Jamie Abbott for this email: Dear Tristan,My name is Jamie Abbott, 28 from Suffolk. Having read your book ‘The Walker’s Guide to…
Sounds during a temperature inversion
Normally, air gets cooler with altitude and this is what we expect to experience. We see snow at the tops of mountains, but none in…
Evolving Views
With bumps on the road, hopefully each year we grow more enlightened in our view of nature and our relationship with it. But there is…
What is swash?
Swash is the name given to the waves that rush up the beach after a wave has broken. They are intriguing little waves that inhabit…
The Snow Shadow Compass
There are two main types of snow compass: those formed by wind and those formed by sun. Here we will look at snow compasses created…
Ascend Interview
I’m always keen to try new ways of sharing the joys of natural navigation and outdoor clues and signs. I’ve done loads of long audio…
What is a Great Circle?
When I first learned about great circles, I found them to be one of the most eye-opening, head-scratching and strangely beautiful concepts in navigation. I…
The Nature Instinct
The Nature Instinct has been published in the US! “A captivating guide to finding one’s way in the wild.” —The Wall Street Journal “An imperative…
Anthocyanins, Sunlight and Navigation
It is that time of year. As the other pigments are drawn back into the plant, the red, orange and yellows of the anthocyanin compounds…
Is this Grass Blue or Green?
My thanks to Peter Gibbs for another fascinating email. You can see our exchange below. If you have your own different interpretation, do please get in touch. ——-…
Natural Navigation with the Tuareg in the Libyan Sahara
The following article by Tristan Gooley was published in Navigation News in March 2010. My research to date has failed to uncover another soul who…
The Future of Celestial Navigation
A morning glance at a moody and cloudy twilight led me to laying down some of my thoughts about the key challenges facing celestial navigation…
The Truth About Moss
Moss is probably the best known natural navigation indicator in the world. It is also excellent at demonstrating how easy it is to go wrong…