Wilderness Navigation Skill Builder

Our skill builder classes designed to teach, in one evening (or day) of lecture and one day of field practice, some of the essential skills needed to take your climbing to the next level.  (If you’d like to assist in teaching any of these classes, call us at the Mazama Mountaineering Center and we’ll set you up.)

Mazamas Wilderness Navigation Skill Builder Application Form

Wilderness Navigation

• Are your navigation skills limited to finding your way back to your sleeping bag after a midnight nature call?
• Is your GPS more of a paperweight than a useful tool?
• Do the phrases “UTM coordinate system” and “compass declination” glaze your eyes and fog your brain?

The Wilderness Navigation skill builder class, sponsored by the Expedition committee, has you covered.  This class will teach you the core map, compass, and GPS skills you need for backcountry travel.

The course is taught three times a year in the autumn, winter and spring .  Moving to a one day format in autumn 2012, the class is a full single day lecture, classroom exercises, a field session.  The morning lectures covers basic map, compass and GPS navigation.  The field session is held at Hamilton Island in the Columbia River Gorge, and offers lots hands on practice using these navigation tools.

If our classes are full and you want to learn these skills, we suggest a class at a local REI store.  They teach GPS and map and compass classes on a regular basis.  See the REI website, find a local store and click store events for details.

Fall Session - 2012 
Sunday November 11 2012, 8:00am to noonish, lecture at Mazama Mountaineering Center (SE 43rd Ave and Stark, Portland)
Field session 1:00pm 6:00ish, Hamilton Island, Columbia River Gorge

Winter Session - 2013
Sunday Feb 10 2013, 8:00am to noonish, lecture at Mazama Mountaineering Center (SE 43rd Ave and Stark, Portland)
Field session 1:00pm 6:00ish, Hamilton Island, Columbia River Gorge

Spring Session - 2013
Sunday May 5 2013, 8:00am to noonish, lecture at Mazama Mountaineering Center (SE 43rd Ave and Stark, Portland)
Field session 1:00pm 6:00ish, Hamilton Island, Columbia River Gorge
Cost: $50 members, $75 non-members

Registration: Fill out the Wilderness Nav. Skill Builder Application Form at the top of this page to reserve your spot.

Cancellation Policy:
60 days prior – Full refund minus 10%
30-60 days prior – Full refund minus 25%
Less than 30 days prior – No refund*
*If you cancel within 30 days of the event and we can fill your spot from the waiting list, we will refund the event fee minus 50%.  If no alternate is available and you cancel within 30 days of the event, the event fee is non-refundable.

Gear
A GPS is not required for the class. If you do not yet own a GPS, please do NOT go out and purchase one prior to the class.  You’ll have a chance to examine and practice with several different models, which may influence your decision on which one to buy. 

A compass is needed for the lecture and field session.  We highly recommend a compass that has adjustable declination.  Locally, REI sells three compasses that have this and other desirable features. Click here to see why we like these three compasses, and see some that are not suitable for the class.

Lecture details
Lectures start promptly.

The first lecture (2.5 hours) on map and compass skills will cover:

• Discuss the “Tools of the Trade” (map, compass, altimeter, GPS)
• Understand map scale, symbols, contours, and the UTM coordinate system
• Learn the four core compass skills
• Learn how not to get lost, and what to do if you are
• Route planning at home - Tips and resources
• Some fun ways to practice navigation

The second lecture (2 hours) on GPS use will cover:

• Theory of operation
• History
• GPS setup (datum, coordinate systems and maps)
• Signal acquisition
• Get a reading (coordinates, altitude, compass)
• Storing data (waypoints, tracks)
• Retrieving data on unit
• Downloading and uploading via a PC
• Creating data from other sources for GPS

Field session details
The field session will take place at Hamilton Island near Bonneville Dam in the Columbia River Gorge.  Carpooling is encouraged. 
The start time at Hamilton Island is 1:30pm.

Note that participants need to hike cross-country for about 3 miles, with an elevation gain of about 400 feet.  If you are physically not able to do this, please reconsider taking this class.

Directions to Hamilton Island from Portland: 
Take I-84 east to Cascade Locks, cross over Bridge of the Gods, turn left (west) on WA Hwy 14. 
Go 4.1 miles and turn left on Cascade Drive at the Chevron Station.
In 200 feet, take a right onto Cascade Dr.  Follow the blue signs to ballfield.  In 0.4 miles, take the second left onto Portage Drive.  Go to the end of Portage Drive.  We’ll meet in the parking area for the baseball field. 

Google map of our meeting spot

Approx timeline:

• 8:00am - meet for lecture at MMC, lectures 8:00-noonish
• 12:30 - depart MMC in carpools for Hamilton Island
• 1:30 - Meet at Hamilton Island
• 1:30 to 3:00 - Supervised exercises as a group
• 3:00 to 5:00 - Small teams on navigation course
• 5:00pm - depart Hamilton
• 6:00pm - return to Portland

Gear for field session: 
Clothing appropriate for the weather forecast, change of shoes and clothes for the ride home, lunch and maybe a thermos of hot beverage, compass, GPS if you have one, pencil or pen. 

Recommended reading and practice (hint hint)
Wilderness Navigation by Bob and Mike Burns, 2004, 2nd edition, The Mountaineers Books
Freedom of the Hills, Navigation chapter
If you want to improve your map and compass navigation for free, anytime, the Mazamas have a permanent training course on Mt. Tabor where you can practice.  See the Navigation Training page for complete details.

We’ve selected some YouTube videos that teach the basics of compass use.  Most are under 2 minutes long.  Students are strongly encouraged to review these before class.  Go here to see these videos

About the Instructors
The Map and Compass lecture will be taught by John Godino.  John, a Mazama climb leader, holds a Masters degree in Geography with an emphasis in Cartography.  He is also active in the sport of competitive Orienteering with the local Columbia River Orienteering Club.
Josh Lockerby will teach the GPS lecture and field session.  Josh, a longtime climb leader a self-described map geek, has owned a GPS from when they were first commercially available, and gets lost only occasionally.  Josh has created maps for many popular hiking and climbing routes/areas in the NW, available for free download here under Resources: Maps for Climbing and Hiking

Feel free to contact the Mazamas if you have any more questions about this class.