Events
Essentials of Map and Compass
Date
to
Cost
$16 for GMC members, $20 for nonmembers
Space limited, pre-registration required
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. Please note: this will include pushing through potentially wet brush, walking through wet areas, and maneuvering over and around fallen trees, so plan to wear appropriate footwear and clothing. 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 Volunteers David Hathaway and Rich Douglass.
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.
Rich is a member of the Sterling section and an avid hiker who finds his happy place in the mountains and has been active with the GMC for six years. He started leading hikes for the GMC in 2025 and also volunteers as a corridor monitor. He strives to find different and unusual hikes off the beaten path for members and non-members alike to join him on.
