How I learned to navigate in the Welsh mountains
Learning to read a map and use a compass turns disorientation into discovery in the Eryri national park
Maps can be cumbersome things. Especially when it’s windy. They can be pretty confounding even when the elements are in your favour. But we’ll come to that.
We were on a hill – not the technical term – in Snowdonia (Eryri national park), attempting to find first a path, then a boundary line, and then a spur of land – at night-time. Each member of our group was equipped with a map, a compass and a head torch. The wind was high, the sun was down and it could have all felt like an uphill slog. But it was, in fact, exhilarating. The last time I did this, and the last time I felt this energised by the elements and shadowy surroundings, I was 11 years old and yomping about with the Scouts.
