NAVIGATION COURSE, PART 2

 

Map and compass plus pacing

Day 2 of Jesse's Navigation Course with Tarmachan Mountaineering. Today we were up on the 'Sgorans' above Glenfeshie. These fine hills offer great opportunities for sharpening your navigation skills. Featureless, rounded and high hills with only a few paths. Even in clear weather they throw up some map reading challenges. Jesse once again very competent at translating a 2 dimensional map to ' the real world'. Master this and you are 50% there in moving around the mountains safely. We covered pacing for accurate, micro navigation and got the timing of navigation legs to an accurate degree . 

We had a look at the pros and cons of GPS and other 'electronic' forms of navigating. Jesse was left in no doubt the superior option. Map and compass every time.

Pathless terrain and strong  winds

Sunshine giving way to overcast conditions 

 A strong Southerly wind above 700m to add to the challenges of accurate navigation. It had been a bright, sunny morning with blue skies. By midday the high cloud drifted in. It was chilly higher up.

Overcast conditions later on

Braeriach and Loch Einich 

The summit of Sgor Gaoithe 

Wildlife today: a beautiful Mountain Hare ( they all are of course) a Ptarmigan posing nicely, Snow Bunting and wonderful Skylark singing merrily. The sounds of the Summer in the mountains. Flowers: Trailing Azaelia looking stunning and lots of it on these hills. Cloudberry, another beautiful flower to enjoy this time of year.

Trailing Azaelia 

Cloudberry 

 Jesse did all the route planning and navigation across several tops, finishing on the Munro summit of Sgor Gaoithe. Many navigational errors occur on the descent off the hills. For Jesse with her newly acquired skills getting  down via a different route was never in question, of course.

A great couple of days and fun banter along the way. 

Getting down off the hill

The steep way