Get more out of your conditioning hikes - Navigation

You can get a lot more out of your next “conditioner” (typically more then 8 miles and 3,000 feet elevation gain) than just aerobic exercise.  Consider focusing on your navigation skills, clothing systems, and food/water systems in addition to getting a workout.

Navigation – Even on hikes where you know the trail perfectly, bring a topo map, compass and maybe a GPS.

• When you get to a viewpoint, orient your map to the terrain (For example, if you are facing south, position the map so the south edge is furthest away from you.)  Identify real world terrain features and match them to your map.  This helps you develop the skill to see contour lines and visualize what they represent in the real world.
• Practice estimating distances.  Pick out some real world features, guess how far away they are, locate them on your map, and use your map scale bar to determine the actual distance.
• If you are not sure of your location on the map, get a GPS waypoint, and then use the UTM grids on the side of your map to locate your position on the map.
• When at a known position on the map, use the map to determine your UTM location.  Then get a GPS waypoint and see how close the points match (within 200 meters is pretty good.)
• As the saying goes, if you always know where you are, you can’t ever be lost.  Get into the habit of keeping the map handy and referring to it often, keeping track of your position.  At any point on a hike or climb, you should be able to instantly find your specific location on the map.  Consider drawing your position / route on the map at every break, more often if traveling off trail in challenging terrain.  Use a red pencil for visibility.