Description
GET OUT OF THE TRAIL CENTRES AND INTO THE BACK COUNTRY WITH CONFIDENCE.
Route Planning & Navigation Course for Mountain Bikers: Looking to venture further a-field and broaden your horizons on the bike? Well you’ll need to plan ahead and plan ahead well. A few tools you’ll need are the ability to plan a route, follow that plan, navigate on the move and relocate. Our basic bike specific navigation course can help you achieve this.
What will we cover on this course?
- How to plan and execute routes using route cards, distance measuring, maps and compasses.
- Main points of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (SOAC)
- How to read maps of different scales.
- How to read key map symbols.
- How to interpret and use contour lines for planning.
- Online resources for planning.
- Formulating and simplifying a route card.
- Basic introduction to using a compass.
- How to orientate maps and take bearings.
- Hand-railing and triangulation.
- OS grid references.
- Relocation in the event of disorientation.
What equipment will I need to attend the course? You’ll need a serviceable mountain bike and be capable of riding 20km and trails of a “red grade” A helmet in good condition and to be self sufficient for 3-4 hours of bike riding. Including snacks and equipment to cover minor repairs on your own bike. Suitable clothing for the prevailing conditions. Also consider bringing a small notebook you can take outside with you.
We will provide a compass for the duration of the course. All maps will be included on a small print scale but should you wish to gain a wider perspective of the area we will ride in, please consider bringing the following maps with you. If you want to purchase any equipment before your arrival, you can do so HERE.
- Ordnance Survey 1.50000 Scale Landranger map number 73
- Ordnance Survey 1.25000 Scale Explorer map number 337
Route Planning & Navigation Course for Mountain Bikers, how the day will run. We’ll arrive at our HQ in Innerleithen for a mornings classroom learning. After this we’ll head out for a short ride to put our work into practice. The ride will only be 10-15km but packed full of learning and opportunities to ask questions. This is a basic course that can help to orientate aspirant mountain bike leadership learners looking to take MBL2 or MBL3 training or assessment. It is also useful to the casual adventurer who may stray off the beaten track now and again.
All of the skills covered in our Route Planning & Navigation Course for Mountain Bikers can be taken away and practiced outside the learning environment in your own time with minimal specialised Equipment.
