As someone who makes a living largely out of walking and cycling, usually accompanied by a map or two, I was initially concerned that I wouldn’t get very much out of this course. I confess that I lose my way from time to time and occasionally get myself completely lost, but I’d rather assumed that that was just part of being outdoors.

Apparently not. Indeed, as soon as I met Pete I had a feeling that here was someone who knew things that it would be useful to know. It turns out he’s been teaching navigation skills for over twenty years and has written a popular book on the subject so you’d be hard pressed to find someone better qualified in the dark arts of not getting lost. He’s also very friendly and patient and ready to re-explain anything that doesn’t go in first time, which is definitely a bonus.

The weekend National Navigation Awards Scheme course (Friday evening to Sunday afternoon) is based at the B&B that Pete runs with his partner Annette in Tideswell, an attractive village full of proper Peak District stone and independent shops and well worth a wander around. The three bedrooms (two doubles and a single) are on the small side but are very tastefully furnished (think boutique rather than Blackpool) and, if you really must, there’s wifi too. I sampled the veggie version of Annette’s full Derbyshire breakfast – the Derbyshire bit being a good wedge of oatcake – and it was delicious. The ingredients are locally sourced and the bread and jam are homemade.

As for the course itself, Pete is very thorough and makes sure that you’re au fait with map and compass basics before moving you along to more challenging stuff. By giving little tasks to carry out at each stage, everyone gets a chance to put all the new knowledge into practice.

I was surprised that right from the start I was picking up handy tips. For instance, I had no idea how many paces I took to cover 100m until Pete made me count them out over a measured distance (if you’re taking notes, I’m a 116-stride kinda guy). Now if I find myself in a pea-souper and I know from my map the distance to a left turn (or, hey, a cliff edge), I’ll know when to start looking out for it by counting my steps. Simple stuff but it might be the difference between getting home safely or not one day.

When we took to the hills (and this is a fantastic part of the Peak District – all dry stone walls and heather and rugged little hamlets) the compass really came into its own. I never realised before what a clever little instrument it is (or that a really decent one will set you back a thumping seventy quid). If you thought it was just for pointing north, think again. Pete even had me looking through the side of it (there’s a tiny world in there – it’s great) for super accurate bearing taking.

However, it’s not all stomping around the countryside glued to a map while checking the compass. When our route took us past the gorgeous Red Lion Inn at Litten it was Pete who suggested we pop in for a pint. Evening sessions are held in the convivial surroundings of The Anchor in Tideswell by an open fire and there’s some free time too when you can get to know fellow participants or escape to one of the village’s other pubs or restaurants.

Pete’s apparently limitless local knowledge also really helps you get to know and appreciate the area. In between the times when I was finding out the difference between grid north and true north I also learnt that a pig of lead found at Pompeii was mined by the Romans here; discovered the reason why there are so few birds of prey in the Peak District; and even discussed the best bands to have come out of Sheffield (Human League? Pulp? Arctic Monkeys? Err...Def Leppard?).

It meant that by the time I left I felt like I’d had a brief holiday here as well as a training course. I’m not going to claim that I’ll never get lost again but, if I do, at least I’ll have a pretty good idea how to get myself unlost.

The best bits about the Bronze Map and Compass Course:

1. Pete himself. He’s very friendly and wants you to succeed but isn’t at all controlling – he’ll step back and let you make your own mistakes. 
2. The fantastic scenery in this part of the Peak District – it makes it a joy to be out and about. You leave knowing you’ve picked up a skill that will be really handy for the rest of your life.

The worst bits about the Bronze Map and Compass Course:

1. The unpredictability of the weather – when it rains out on the hills there’s no hiding place. 
2. Tideswell isn’t the easiest place in the world to get to by public transport.

Creative commons photo courtesy of Flickr user the yes man