Knowing how to use a map and compass are crucial skills for any hiker. If you don’t know how to use a map and compass, then you are not only missing an essential skill when taking to the mountains, you could also be putting your life in danger.

This workshop will help you understand the information provided on a topographical map, the proper use of a compass, and how to put the two together. You'll learn about magnetic north, true north, and magnetic declination, and pairing a compass to a map. You'll then learn how to use a map and compass to find a bearing with a map and follow it in the field, and to take bearings on visible landmarks and use them to determine where you are. After covering these fundamentals, you'll get an opportunity to practice orienteering skills in the woods around the Green Mountain Club campus. This interactive workshop is a great introduction to navigation and map reading which are essential skills for anyone hiking trails or heading into the woods off-trail (bushwhacking).

The workshop will be led by GMC Volunteer David Hathaway. 

David is a member of the Burlington section and has lived in Underhill for 33 years. He joined the GMC in 1996, has been leading trips for the Burlington Section since around 2007 and has been its outings chair since 2014. He is an Adirondack 46er, has climbed all of the NE 100 highest peak, 19 of the Colorado 14ers, and has completed two end-to-end hikes of the Long Trail. He is a GMC Trail Adopter, corridor monitor and active trail maintainer. David is a member of the GMC Board of Directors and chairs the GMC Trail Management Committee.