Which NNAS course should I do?

Bronze Navigator

The Bronze Award covers the essential map reading skills. You'll learn about using “handrail features”, like paths and walls, to guide you along your way. We’ll look at measuring distances, both on the map and on the ground, and delve into what all those symbols mean on the map, and learn how to understand map scale. You’ll also learn the basics of how to use a compass and how to use it with your map to ensure you don’t get lost. A bronze course will take you from relying on apps, friends or guidebooks to being able to plan a walk and follow it successfully.

Bronze Navigator course dates and cost 2025

May 10th - 11th £160pp, 8 places available

June 4th - 5th £160pp, 8 places available

July 17th - 18th £160pp, 6 places available

August 23rd - 24th £160pp, 7 places available

October 4th - 5th £160pp, 8 places available

November 15th - 16th £160pp, 8 places available

Silver Navigator

On a Silver Navigator Award course, you’ll start to leave the paths behind. You'll navigate in open country on short bearings. As your confidence increases you’ll learn more advanced compass skills and add timing and pacing into the mix too. During the course you’ll discover more about contours, and how they relate to the ground we’re walking over, and delve into what we call ‘navigation strategies’, what they are and how we use them to aid our navigation. Silver courses take place on more difficult terrain than the Bronze, and away from easy-to-follow paths and trails.

Silver Navigator course dates and cost 2025

May 31st - June 1st £180pp, 8 places available

July 19th - 20th £180pp, 8 places available

September 1st - 2nd £180pp, 8 places available

November 22nd - 23rd £180pp, 8 places available

In 2016 the NNAS launched the NNAS Tutor Award, a course for Providers and their Course Directors who teach navigation. It is a recognition that just because one can personally navigate it doesn’t follow that one can teach it!

All Registered Navigator Award Providers and their Course Directors have attended this CPD-accredited course in order to offer the Navigator awards.

The NNAS Tutor Award is suitable for people 16yrs+ only.

Successful completion of the NNAS Tutor Award will also enable (after approval by NNAS) those without a higher hill or mountain walking qualification, but with experience and interest in the outdoors, to help teach on a Bronze award under the guidance of a registered NNAS Course Director.  They will be called “Bronze Tutors”.  In this case, once the NNAS Tutor Award is completed, an application by email to the NNAS must be made and approved before that person assists on Bronze courses.

The course is a mixture of indoor and outdoor practical sessions and offers the opportunity for candidates to discuss their own methodology as well as learning new techniques from others.

NNAS Tutor Award

Tutor Award Course Dates 2025

June 15th £96pp, 8 places available

September 26th £96pp, 10 places available

All of our NNAS courses are run in the eastern part of the Lake District, meeting first in the village of Bampton, just off the M6 near Shap. For our Bronze Navigator courses we focus on the many paths and tracks and other linear features of the Lowther Valley, while for the Silver Navigator we use the more rugged, off-path terrain of Bampton Common, the Shap Fells, or Askham Common.

Both our Bronze and Silver courses start each day at 9.30am, and finish around 4.30pm

Our Tutor Award courses are based partly indoors and partly outdoors, from our venue at the Bampton Memorial Hall. The Tutor Award courses start at 9.00am and finish at 5.00pm