Wilderness Navigation 2

Date: Apr 05, 2025 to Apr 06, 2025

Time: All Day

Category: Education

Wilderness Navigation 2 course taught by ACMG Hiking Guide, Mike Blake

Mike Blake

ACMG Hiking Guide

mobile: +1 250-703-1056

email: 

web: https://mbguiding.ca

Here is the link and description for the workshop:

Wilderness Navigation 2 – Apr 5-6, 2025 (Strathcona)

Registration: Please register for the course directly on Mike’s website. Mike is offering a 15% discount to ACCVI members. To get the discount, use the discount code ACCVI2025 at checkout

Staging area: VI Mountain Centre in Strathcona

Note: Participants will need to find their own accommodations (not included in the course package). Bear Lodge, Deer Lodge, and Airbnb’s on Mount Washington have accommodations available. Plus there are several more options in the Comox Valley.

Wilderness Navigation 2 focuses on the basic-to-advanced skills and tools required to plan successful trips and navigate in the backcountry.

This 2-day workshop is suitable for novice to advanced hikers.

Highlights

• Professional instruction. All workshops are developed and taught by Mike Blake, a certified ACMG Hiking Guide. You will learn to plan and execute backcountry trips just like a pro, surrounded by the natural beauty of Vancouver Island’s provincial and regional mountain parks.
• Excellent resources. There is a huge array of information regarding digital tools and other equipment. Mike spends a lot of time researching and curating the best tools for you to try. Eliminate the confusion, and start navigating with confidence using his field-tested recommendations.
• Learning-intensive experiences. Our workshops focus on wilderness navigation, but you will also learn complementary skills such as pre-trip planning, organizing logistics, environmental assessments, route conditions assessments, lightweight gear selection, and emergency preparedness.

Included

• ACMG Hiking Guide
• Online Basecamp
• Pre-Trip Planning
• Organizing Logistics
• Environmental Assessment
• Route Conditions Assessment
• Lightweight Gear Selection
• Packing Tips
• Menu Planning
• Emergency Preparedness Plan
• Group Safety Equipment
• Technical Guiding
• Interpretive Guiding
• Professional Instruction
• Personalized Coaching
• Experiential Learning
• Online Orientation Session (1 hour – 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm)
• Two Field Days (2 x 8 hours – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm)
• Navigation Kit (topographic map, mirror compass, smartphone apps)

Not Included

• Transportation to Staging Area
• Accommodations at Staging Area
• Personal Gear and Meals

Topics

• Route Planning
  • Objectives
  • Resources
  • Hazards
  • Alternative plans
• Map Basics
  • Types of maps
  • Scale
  • Legends
  • Colour codes
  • Contour lines
  • Terrain features
  • Grid references
• Compass Basics
  • Parts
  • Declination
  • Bearings
• Route Finding
  • Terrain management
  • Macro-terrain vs micro-terrain
  • On-trail vs off-trail
  • Avoiding hazards
• Navigation with Map and Compass
  • Using a map in the field
  • Recognizing terrain features
  • Determining position
  • Operating a compass
  • Taking a bearing from a map
  • Taking a bearing in the field
• Digital Trip Planning
  • Online mapping tools
  • Plotting markers and lines
  • Plotting routes
  • Creating custom maps
  • Printing custom maps
  • Transferring data
• Satellite Navigation
  • Satellite navigation systems
  • Accuracy issues and solutions
  • Power issues and solutions
  • Smartphone apps
  • Setting waypoints
  • Recording tracks
  • Navigating to a location