Mountaineers Seattle Offers Wilderness Navigation Course

The Mountaineers' Seattle Navigation Committee will hold a Wilderness Navigation course from October 30 to November 15, 2026.

According to the course description, this is the same curriculum as the organization's Wilderness Navigation A course. It is designed to provide essential map, compass, and GPS skills for greater self-reliance in the outdoors. Successful completion earns a 3-year Basic Navigation Badge, which is required for the group's alpine climbing, alpine scrambling, and backcountry snowshoeing programs.

Course Structure and Requirements

The course consists of three mandatory sequential activities. No prerequisites are required for participation.

The first activity is a self-paced online module available for one week, requiring six to eight hours to complete. It covers navigation principles, map and compass use, declination, coordinate systems, bearings, altimeters, GPS technology, and trip planning. The Mountaineers state that students who do not finish this online component are automatically canceled from the course.

Activity two is a six-hour, in-person workshop at The Mountaineers Program Center in Seattle. It builds on the online material with hands-on practice using navigation tools.

The final component is a six-hour, in-person field trip at Discovery Park. This session reinforces core principles and includes a required skills assessment.

Core Navigation Principles

The interconnected activities are based on several core principles for wilderness travel. These include measuring and plotting a bearing, gaining proficiency with paper and digital topographic maps, and understanding magnetic declination.

The course also emphasizes an ethic of self-reliance, focusing on individual competence with tools like maps, compasses, altimeters, and GPS devices. Developing situational awareness is another key goal, ensuring travelers can evaluate their surroundings, adapt to changes, and always know their location, destination, and route.

Required Gear and Registration

Participants must obtain specific equipment before the online activity begins. The Mountaineers provide a list of required items.

For the workshop and field trip, participants must also bring the Ten Essentials, weather-appropriate clothing like rain gear and warm layers, trail snacks, water, and a notebook with a pen or pencil.

The registration process involves signing up and paying the course fee, which automatically enrolls the participant in all three required activities. The Mountaineers warn registrants to note the dates and avoid conflicts, citing a strict cancellation policy.

Cancellation Policy and Other Details

Refunds are only available for cancellations made by Thursday, October 22, 2026. In that case, participants receive a full refund minus a $10 administrative fee. Cancellations on or after Friday, October 23, 2026, receive no refund. The organization states there are no exceptions to this policy and no options for make-up sessions.

The source notes that the Seattle Wilderness Navigation course is offered most months and advises interested individuals to check back for future dates if the November 2026 schedule is inconvenient. For beginners with little outdoor experience, the Mountaineers suggest introductory courses like "Introduction to Map and Compass" or "Staying Found," though those do not fulfill the badge requirements for advanced activities.