Saturday 11 July 2026
The navigation day at Glenshee on 11 July was an excellent day out and, thanks to the dense fog and drizzle, provided almost perfect conditions for practising navigation. The poor visibility meant we had to rely on our map, compass and navigation skills throughout the day rather than simply following obvious paths.
At Glenshee Café, where Scott spent around an hour with the four of us going through maps, compasses and the plan for the day. He came thoroughly prepared, ensuring everyone had the correct maps and a compass before we set off. We also covered pacing, although I think I may have short legs. My pacing certainly wasn’t the most accurate, but that’s a story for another day.
We started by heading up to Carn Aosda reaching higher ground where Scott introduced us to his emergency shelter. It was fascinating to see how effective it was, and everyone seemed impressed. There was plenty of laughter too, especially when one member produced an unusual attachment for their phone that became the source of much amusement.
After stopping for a bite to eat, we continued downhill to practise taking bearings and relating the map to the ground before making our way to a small loch, Loch Vrotachan with a well padlocked hut nearby. From there we crossed wet, boggy and slushy ground before climbing further hills. With the mist remaining throughout much of the day, it was an ideal opportunity to put navigation techniques into practice in real mountain conditions.
By the end of the day we had completed three Munros, Carn Gheoidh,and Carn Nan Sac, finishing at The Cairnwell near the chairlift area, including the Tiger ski run. Rather than taking the easy option, we decided to run and walk back down, which rounded off the day with plenty of laughs, and giving thanks to our day out in the mountains.
One of the amusing observations afterwards was that, according to Carlin’s Strava, we seemed to spend almost as much time chatting as we did walking. In fact more chatting than walking. The conversation throughout the day was as enjoyable as the navigation itself and made for a very sociable outing.
Scott kindly drove everyone to and from the hills. Stopping at Blairgowrie, where we finished the day with dinner at Wetherspoons. A Saturday evening there proved entertaining, with what looked like a cowboy-and-Indian themed night going on around us. By the time everyone arrived home it was around 10 pm, making it a full but thoroughly enjoyable day.
Even during the drive we continued discussing mountain safety and what to do in potentially dangerous situations, so the learning didn’t stop when we left the hills.
A special mention should go to Scott for producing an excellent 17-page navigation handbook to accompany the day. The notes covered the key principles of both macro and micro navigation, preparation, map reading, compass work, pacing, timing, bearings, route planning and decision-making in poor visibility. Having such a comprehensive guide before and after the practical session was extremely thoughtful and provided an excellent reference to revisit afterwards, helping to reinforce everything that had been taught on the hill.
Overall, it was a very informative, enjoyable and memorable day, with excellent instruction, plenty of practical experience, good company and a great sense of humour throughout. Many thanks to Scott for the planning, preparation, tuition and transport, all of which made the day such a success.
- Report by Lesley Paton
