This was the first navigation weekend in what will be a busy autumn season for navigation weekends. Despite rain on Friday and a misty drive up from Sydney, the weather in the upper mountains was warm and clear on Saturday morning when we gathered at Bell railway station. Unusually for this area there was no wind throughout the weekend. After a briefing on navigation at the car park we set off on the walk and by lunch time we were in the wilderness with 360 degree views of the beautiful wilderness. The navigators learned how to use a compass to identify distant peaks and then to navigate to our destination. Our campsite was in a beautiful natural crater framed by cliffs above a lush green swamp. The rain held off until after we’d gone to bed. Sunday was very damp and drizzly all day long but the rain was so light it did not interfere with our plans at all. Everyone had laminated maps which were protected from the elements whilst still allowing them to be drawn on in pencil. The walking today was quite challenging in varied terrain which provide opportunities to learn new skills. A steep descent and ascent to cross a river followed by lunch with more panoramic views. Then the clients mapped the unmarked trail that they followed back to our waiting cars. What a great weekend!

At last a navigation weekend with sunny weather and clear skies on both days! This weekend was one of glorious weather, cool crisp mornings, a brisk westerly wind, and warm days. It was a great group of enthusiastic navigators who joined this trip and everyone had lots of fun and learned heaps of new navigation skills to equip them for their future adventures. Our campsite was a massive cavern amid an intricate sandstone labyrinth, a magical place to spend time together and catch up around the campfire. The route is perfect for learning all aspects of bush navigation with map and compass, as well as being a moderately challenging hike in varied and beautiful terrain. A wonderful group of people and a fun and memorable weekend enjoyed by all!

antastic weather and an even more fantastic group of people joined this most recent navigation weekend on 3-4 May. We embarked on the hike after a 2 hour briefing and navigation lesson at our meeting point. The navigators learned the process of bush navigation, how to plan a route and how to use the terrain to help you keep on track. Lunch was had at a place with 360 degree views of the surrounding area and this was the perfect place to learn new skills. We reached an awesome campsite which we shared with another group of 2 walkers. On Sunday we did a longer walk, navigating and learning new skills along the way, heading back to our start point by an entirely different route. There was a mix of terrain which set the scene for various ways to apply the skills of navigation. Many new friends were made quickly on this fun weekend and we are already planning our next adventure together. A fantastic and successful navigation weekend!

The forecast during the week was pretty wild for this weekend, with an east coast low developing, rain forecast and a vicious cold snap forecast for Sunday. But after driving across Sydney in dense fog early on Saturday morning, we burst through to clear blue skies and no wind on the climb into the mountains. We gathered at Bell station in the clear sunshine and clearing mist, optimistic about the weekend ahead. It remained a glorious day all day and the small group enjoyed the spectacular scenery while learning to navigate their way to our campsite using the terrain, their maps, and their compasses. There were ample opportunities to learn a range of navigation techniques on the way. It was a long day and we arrived at the campsite both mentally and physically tired but very happy after an amazing day. By the time our tents were up and water bottles filled and firewood collected, it was already getting dark. We had a pleasant evening around the small campfire, and the weather remained fine on a clear and starry night. The next day dawned cloudy and because of the forecast of wind and rain later, we made an early start. Up into the weak sunshine that briefly broke through the clouds for our group photo at an amazing viewpoint, and this is where the group planned their navigation route for the day. Then it was off on quite a long but scenic and educational hike. The forecast wind never eventuated but it turned cold and we walked layered up the whole day. Lunch was had in a truly amazing place with 360 degree views of the surrounding wilderness. Then the clients navigated their way back to the cars by a new and different route. A fantastic weekend enjoyed by all and no rain and no wind!!!

The week leading up to this navigation weekend brought heavy rainfall to the Blue Mountains and devastating floods to other parts of NSW. But miraculously the forecast for the weekend was for fine and sunny weather. And so, as the rain eased off during Friday, and as all went quiet during Friday night, it was indeed looking great for the weekend. And so the trip went ahead and the group gathered as planned on Saturday, on a quite cold and windy morning but with the promise of improving weather to come. The usual morning briefing at Bell was shortened so that we could start walking sooner to get warm. This we did, and after finishing the briefing after a 2km walk to warm up, everyone was ready to navigate the rest of the way to camp. Lunch was had at a spectacular viewpoint with panoramic views of the wilderness to the north and east. The group learned to use their maps and compasses to identify the natural landmarks around them, an important part of the skill of bush navigation. Thus the group navigated capably to the campsite for the night, and the river crossing was straightforward as by now the water level had dropped significantly since the rain of the past few days. Choosing the campsite for the night was a little challenging due to one being taken by another group and another campsite partially inundated after the rains. So we headed to an alternate location on a ridge where we camped under the stars and enjoyed a peaceful evening of clear night skies, a vivid panoply of stars, and a wind which had abated to only a light breeze. Next day dawned sunny and still, our camp was a great spot to watch the sunrise. We explored the area a bit more and planned how to navigate a new route back to the start point. The route today included a variety of landscapes including fire trails, unmarked tracks, and a little off trail wilderness hiking. Our lunch spot was a wonderful viewpoint with 360 degree views of the surrounding area, so of course the compasses were put to good use again. After quite a long and active 2 days of hiking the group arrived back where it all began by about 3:30pm. The group parted company tired but happy, new friends made, many happy memories, and a huge amount of bush navigation skill learned for when they next head out.