Outdoor pursuits training diary, Dartmoor, Devon, UK and Spain

Weekly Diary <2008 - 2009>
Online diary recording the trainees' progress through the course.

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15

Week 4 - Intro to Navigation and a Canoe expedition The group had their first walking day this week as an introduction to maps and navigation. There is a great spread of experience this year from people who are already competent navigators to those who have never used a map or compass before. Everybody is taken back to basics to ensure they have a good depth of knowledge and can build up their skills at their own pace. The weeks highlight was probably the overnight canoe expedition along Exeter Canal and the Exe Estuary. The group were completely self sufficient carrying all their tents, camp equipment and food. Once the students had pitch tents and eaten, the instructing team guided them on a night paddle along the Estuary - in search of the nearest pub.

The days intro to navigation started from basics - grid references, orientating the map, symbols and understanding contour lines.		Dartmoor gave us a little taste of weather to come with typical fast changes in cloud cover and a massive downpour of rain.

	This a great piece of expedition kit - the tarpaulin. Paddles are used as poles and the relatively lightweight, waterproof tarp can also double us as a sail.

Early morning on the Exe estuary.