Gold NNAS Navigator Award – Peak District

The National Navigation Award Scheme sets a limit of four people on the Gold NNAS Navigator courses so you’re always guaranteed the attention of our instructors. All sorts of people come on our NNAS courses from all sorts of backgrounds and all ages but what they all have in common is a desire to learn more about navigating in the outdoors.

Of course! Around half our clients come on their own. It’s a great way to meet other like-minded adventurers.

Absolutely! Children aged eight and over are welcome on our National Navigation Award Scheme courses when accompanied by a parent, guardian or carer. Discounted prices are available for children aged 8-15 and for family groups.

The NNAS Gold Navigator Awards take place over two consecutive days and you’ll need to attend both days to be eligible for the qualification. There is also a pre and post course element which is held over a Zoom course around a week before the weekend course and about a month after. We usually start at 9am and aim to finish before 5pm each day (with a little bit of homework in between!) The aim is to enjoy the weekend and the pace reflects this. Each day starts with a short ‘classroom’ session before heading out into the hills for the practical element.

Our Silver NNAS Navigator Award takes place in the heart of the Peak District in the small village of Edale. Only around an hour’s drive from Manchester or Sheffield and easily accessible from the M1 for London and the North, the Peak District is perfectly located in the middle of the country.

Edale also has a railway station on the Manchester-Sheffield line making it accessible to all.

Each day begins and ends at the fabulous Penny Pot Cafe where Chris and his team offer homemade cakes, delicious snacks and hot and cold drinks (and local ice creams when the sun comes out to play).

We’re proud to offer some of the best value outdoor courses in the UK. Our two-day Gold Navigator Award costs £150 for children (aged 8-15) and £175 for adults (aged 16+). There’s also an £8 course fee which is paid to the National Navigation Award Scheme (NNAS) on your behalf. Successful candidates will receive a digital certificate at the end of the course.

You can either choose to pay in full when you book online or if you book by phone you can avoid the online booking fees imposed by our booking provider.

If you’d like to spread your payments with Klarna, you can book now and pay in 30 days or pay in 3 instalments over the next 3 months. For example you can choose to pay the £183 as 3 monthly instalments of around £61. Klarna is safe and secure and payments are interest-free.

If you’d like to stay over and make a weekend of it (always recommended!) then there are a few very local accommodation options available:

• Bike & Boot Inn is a new leisure hotel in the Hope Valley just a 15 minute drive away. Use promo code ‘mountainxperience’ to get big discounts on stays!
• The Rambler Inn is the pub just around the corner from where the course meets. It has nine en-suite rooms available as well as a one bedroom cottage.
• The Old Nags Head is just a short walk away in the centre of Edale and offers two small cottages which would ideally suit couples, families and small groups.
• Fieldhead Campsite is a small 45 pitch site again just a few minutes walk from where we meet. It’s a bit ‘rustic’ (there’s no electricity, wifi or even phone signal!) but it’s a lovely little site to get away from it all.
• Newfold Farm in the centre of the village (a five minute walk) welcomes tents as well as campervans and caravans or you can book to stay in one of their luxury bell tents. They also have a cafe and make great pizza at weekends!

If you have a car then you can also look for accommodation in nearby Castleton, Hope, Hathersage and other surrounding villages and small towns. Use your favourite accommodation booking website such as booking.com or airbnb.co.uk and search for ‘Edale’.

You’ll need outdoor kit for a whole weekend in the hills whatever the weather! You’ll also need an Ordnance Survey 1:25 000 Explorer map for the Dark Peak area (OL1). If you happen to have an OS 1:50 000 Landranger (110) or Harvey Peak District Central map then bring them along but don’t go out and buy them specially. The only one you definitely need is the OS OL1 map. You’ll also need a compass. We recommend the Silva Expedition 4 but any long-edged compass will do the job.

Remember to bring enough food and drink with you to last the whole weekend and some money for breakfasts and cakes!

There’s a full kit list below. Please have a look at the weather before setting off and dress accordingly. Better to have an extra fleece and woolly hat in your bag just in case. Remember we’ll be outdoors all weekend in all weathers so be sure to have the right gear. If it’s looking wet then keeping spares clothes to change into in your car is also a good idea.

• Comfortable hill walking clothing – personal base layers and trousers (not jeans)
• Waterproof jacket with hood
• Waterproof trousers (separate to your walking trousers)
• Spare warm/fleece jacket
• Walking boots or walking trainers
• Comfortable walking socks
• Warm hat and gloves or sun hat and sun screen (weather dependent)
• Vacuum flask for hot drink and/or re-usable water bottle
• Personal first aid kit and personal medication
• Ordnance Survey 1:25 000 Explorer map for the Dark Peak area (OL1)
• Compass (long-edge type such as the Silva Expedition 4)
• Headtorch
• Day walk rucksack – approx. 20-25 litres
• Packed lunch and snacks for each day

You can get hold of OS maps direct from Ordnance Survey or from any book store including Amazon but we recommend Dash4It – the map superstore. They guarantee the latest maps at the cheapest prices all with free delivery. They also stock a wide range of compasses. Use the discount code MOUNTAINX to get an extra 10% off OS Maps.

There’s no need to worry about the assessment. Whilst you will need to meet certain criteria set out by National Navigation Award Scheme you’ll have the whole weekend to prove yourself. The assessment tends to take place throughout the course rather than as an ‘exam’ on Sunday afternoon. Our instructors want you to pass as much as you do and will be able to provide additional support during the day or in the evenings if required.

Of course. The requirements for the NNAS Navigator Awards are specified by The National Navigation Award Scheme and can be found below. Don’t be too worried if you don’t understand all the terminology as that’s what our instructors are there for but it might help you decide which level to start at.

The Gold Navigator Award builds on the skills acquired at the Bronze and Silver levels and adds techniques and skills for dealing with complex contour features both large and small.

​For the full syllabus of the Gold National Navigation Award see below:

• Utilise the skills and techniques of the Bronze and Silver Awards in the context of Gold National Navigation Award navigation strategies.
• Utilise contours and fine detail as the prime method of navigation.
• Accurately: Follow a route, judge distance, check progress against time, use relevant compass skills and maintain continuous map contact.
• Use back bearings and transits to confirm the current position.
• Use aspect of slope as an aid to relocation.
• Select appropriate techniques within an overall navigation strategy.
• Navigate in intricate terrain in reduced visibility i.e. mist or darkness.
• Select an appropriate, safe route in relation to height gain and loss, dangerous terrain and other major hazards.
• Assess the route ahead in the field in relation to prevailing conditions or changing circumstances (e.g. weather, time, daylight, ability/fitness) and re-plan the route appropriately if necessary.
• Shorten a route, use an escape route and know emergency procedures.
• Recognise the occurrence of a navigational error within a few minutes and apply appropriate relocation techniques.
• Select appropriate clothing, equipment and first aid for walking in remote areas in all weather conditions.
• Understand the physical demands created by hill and moorland terrain in all weather conditions.
• Understand the effects of cold, heat, fatigue and discomfort on decision making and execution of a selected route.
• Understand the implications of climate change on the outdoor environment and be knowledgeable in practical steps to mitigate its effect.
• Understand the pros and cons of appropriate electronic navigation devices and describe/demonstrate their use in the context of Gold terrain.