By: Blonde Two
Getting lost when you are out walking, running or cycling is, at best, annoying and, at worst, dangerous. It is interesting to note where (according to Google) people are most worried about getting lost,
‘Will I get lost in the Bermuda Triangle?’ – I don’t know, no-one has ever come back to tell us
‘Will I get lost at the airport?’ – Probably but most people do and we all end up in the right place eventually
‘Will I get lost in Japan?’ – I think it probably depends how many blossom trees you have looked at
The good news about getting lost (wherever you are but particularly in the outdoors) is that it can be avoided. For this week’s Tuesday’s Ten we have some top reasons people get lost (but don’t tell you anything whatsoever about how to get un-lost!)
- Not being sure about a starting point (car parks can be particularly tricky).
- Following paths that look fabulous but are actually going in the wrong direction.
- Not knowing the distance to the next check point (for example a fork in the track).
- Not knowing travel times (e.g. how long it takes to walk a kilometre)
- Mistiming a walk/run/cycle and getting caught out after dark.
- Not knowing where North, East, South and West are on a map.
- Not being able to use a compass to work out basic directions.
- Not paying attention to clues as they are passed.
- Being removed from natural navigation clues such as sun and wind direction (me in pretty much any public loo).
- Not using innate sense of direction enough (perhaps because of over-reliance on digital devices, which are great but not a replacement for navigation skills).
The good news is that, if you are worried about getting lost or if not knowing how to read a map is stopping you from getting outside, we Blondes can help. We run navigation courses on Dartmoor and would love to meet you!
https://www.twoblondeswalking.com/courses/dartmoor-navigation-courses/
