Why Winter is the Best Time to Learn Navigation?
Picture this: it’s a perfect, sunny summer day. You’re on Dartmoor, the sky is clear, and you can see the tor you’re aiming for, five miles away on the horizon. Navigation is easy, right? You just point your feet in the right direction and walk.
Now, picture this: it’s a damp, misty day in November. The cloud is down, visibility is 50 metres, and every tussock of grass looks exactly the same. The ”easy” landmarks are gone. This, right here, is where real navigation begins.
For years, people have told me, ”I’ll book a navigation course in the spring when the weather is better.” I’m going to let you in on an industry secret - that’s the worst time to learn.
If you want to build real, unshakeable confidence, winter isn’t an obstacle; it’s the best possible classroom. Here’s why.
Stop Waiting for the ”Perfect” Day. The Best Classroom is Here.
The Best Classroom is Here.
1. It Forces You to Actually Learn the Skills
On a clear summer day, you’re not navigating; you’re just identifying landmarks. You’re ”cheating” by using your eyes, not your brain.
Winter strips away these distractions. It forces you to stop looking at the horizon and start *actually reading the map*. You’ll learn to see the shape of the land by reading contour lines, not by looking at the hill itself. It forces you to trust your compass, to take a bearing, and to believe in it. This is the pure, focused learning environment you need.
2. You Master ”Blind Faith” Navigation
The most important skills in navigation are the ones you need when you can’t see. These are skills like pacing (knowing how far you’ve walked) and timing (knowing how long it should take).
In summer, you just walk until you hit the landmark. In winter, you have to use a bearing and *trust* that after walking for 15 minutes, or counting 800 paces, a stream junction will appear out of the mist *exactly* where you planned.
When it does, the feeling of success is incredible. You’ve just built a level of trust in your map, compass, and (most importantly) yourself that you simply cannot learn on a clear day
3. It Builds True, All-Weather Confidence
The real purpose of navigation isn’t just to find your way on a nice day. It’s to keep you safe when the weather *unexpectedly* turns bad.
By learning in winter, you are pressure-testing your skills in the very conditions you’re training for. When you successfully navigate from one point to another in poor visibility, you gain a deep, genuine confidence that you’ll carry with you forever. You’ll be a more resilient and self-reliant mountaineer, and that’s the person you want to be when you’re on a mountain in Wales and the cloud drops without warning.
4. Honestly? It’s Just More Comfortable
This might sound counter-intuitive, but it’s true.
Think about it: in summer, you’re hot, you’re sweating, and you’re being eaten alive by midges every time you stop to look at the map. In winter, you’re already wrapped up for the weather. Stopping for five minutes to take a bearing and plan your next leg is a welcome rest. There are no bugs, no sunburn, and no distractions. It’s just you, the map, and the moor
Don’t Wait for Summer
Don’t wait for the ”easy” weather to learn a skill you need for the ”hard” weather. Winter is here, and it’s the perfect opportunity to become the confident, all-season hill-walker you want to be.
Ready to get started?
Our Dartmoor Hill & Navigation Skills courses are running all winter
We’re also offering a Night Navigation Masterclass for those who want the ultimate challenge.
Check out the ”Hill Walking Courses” button below for dates and booking. We can’t wait to see you out there.
