Backcountry Navigation and Orienteering
When: Saturday, April 13, 2024
Time: 9-4pm
Where: Thacker Mountain Trail, Hope, BC
Cost: $195/person
(Children and youth under 18 must be accompanied by a guardian)
For more information or questions, please contact Tunde
at tmurphy@hopemountain.org or 604-869-1274
Is the red in the shed? What does that mean? Did I just find True North, or Magnetic North? What’s the declination again? Is this thing on?
Is the backcountry calling your name, but your navigation skills are holding you back? Look no further, in this introduction to backcountry navigation and orienteering, we will learn the basics of map reading and route planning, as well as how to use a compass, take a bearing, and find your way should you step off the trail and get lost.
Join us in a guided environment, for a program that includes a blend of online and field learning sessions. The bulk of this course will be spent outdoors in beautiful Thacker Mountain Regional Park.
Lead by Anders Hopperstead and supported by Moon Pruvost, your trip leaders will show you the ropes so you can enjoy the outdoors while being fully prepared for your next adventure!
Itinerary:
Thursday, April 4, 2024
7-8 pm online ZOOM session
In this 1-hour zoom session, trip leaders will introduce themselves and lay out the itinerary for the field day. We will learn to plan a route and add it to the GPS app of your choice. All skills that are curated to demonstrate the typical trip preparation all seasoned hikers should apply before heading into the backcountry.
Saturday, April 13, 2024
09:00AM – Gather in Hope at the Rec Centre (1005 6 Ave, Hope) check-in, sign waivers,
*Participants must arrange their own transportation.
09:30AM – Convoy to Thacker Mountain Trail see MAP
09:40AM – Arrive at Trail Head
12:00PM – 09:50AM – Course Content
12:30PM – 12:00PM – Lunch break
02:30PM – 12:30PM – Course Content
03:00PM – Return to trailhead/convoy to classroom for post-field session
04:00PM – Course ends
*Be aware that times are approximate! Start and end times may vary slightly depending on speed of the group, weather and road conditions, etc.
Price includes:
What to bring:
Pre-field 1-hour zoom session
Course and materials
Post-field session
First aid and guide support
Physical demand:
Thacker Mountain is a 5km loop with about 150 m elevation. Most of the day will be spent on the trail, participants should be in good health and adequate physical fitness.
Whenever you are hiking, you should always carry The Essentials
At a minimum, participants will need the following for this outing:
A Compass
Personal phone – with GPS app of choice
Battery pack for cell phone or GPS
Two poles per-person – optional, but greatly improves stability
Lunch and high-energy snack food
Water – at least 2 litre per-person
Good footwear – hiking shoes or trail running shoes with good thread
Appropriate clothing and rain gear
Backpack to carry all your gear
Meet Your Guides
Anders Hopperstead
Anders feels very fortunate to have parlayed his childhood passion for maps and exploration into a 27-year career as a digital cartographer and geographic information systems (GIS) specialist. He has hiked and mapped hundreds of miles of trails across North America. Anders has shared his love of topographic maps, compasses and GPS units through Hope Mountain Centre backcountry navigation courses since 2010.He lives with his wife, daughter (age 8) and son (age 5) in Mission B.C.
Moon Pruvost
Moon is Hope Mountain Centre’s Program Director. She is an experienced educator and backcountry mountain guide. Her passion for the natural world and grizzly bears led her to study Wildlife and Forestry Conservation.
She is certified in Wilderness First Aid,
Avalanche Skills Training, Leave No Trace Master Educator and has experience as a bush craft/survival instructor.
Moon loves to share her knowledge and love of the outdoors with people of all ages! When she is not guiding, you can usually find her exploring the outdoors with her puppy, Kenai.
Volunteer
Cancellation:
Sorry no refunds! You can pass on your spot to someone else who meets the physical demand of the program, just please let us know, as we need registration information from everyone.
A program may be cancelled at the discretion of HMCOL. If a program is cancelled by HMCOL, participants will receive a full refund of program fees. Please be aware that our programs run regardless of weather conditions, unless HMCOL determines that it will affect the safety of participants.