Once more into the clag

[sbrt]

Another post on my blog http://sbrtrfr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/clag-magnet.html about getting lost in the clag Is this normal fell running behaviour, do the rest of you get temporarily misplaced, any tips on nav in the clag?

[N-dubya]

trust your compass

[Mike T]

trust your compass

.....and get it and your map out before you are lost. On recces in good visibility try to look for safe lines - following or bouncing off paths/walls/gills - as well as those off piste fast lines.

[cyclops]

Another post on my blog http://sbrtrfr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/clag-magnet.html about getting lost in the clag Is this normal fell running behaviour, do the rest of you get temporarily misplaced, any tips on nav in the clag?

what they said. trust the compass - and handrail. clag plays with the mind big time....has had me absolutely convinced I was heading south but was going north - compass said north, just brain thought south. what I've noticed from walking in dark and being out in clag is that you notice little things that are just bypassed on clear days - an example being a fence line right next to a path I knew (or thought I did) fairly well. on returning another time whilst out running I realised that the trod next to the fence is so lovely and easy to run on yr focus is much further out - admiring the view or being distracted by birds etc. it's almost like, if you want to practice for being in clag, you either have to just do more nav in clag (or at night) or get blinkers and reduce yr vision.

[ba-ba]

Never follow a fell runner! (even if he does have a thumb compass and professes to be an orienteer some weekends!! - check out my little wobble en route to Blisco at Great Lakes. And then there's trying to end up in Wasdale off the top of Scafell Pike before catching it - thankfully both resulted in minimal time loss! Especially compared to others!)

[sbrt]

Thanks all.
Keep the tips coming.

[snewby]

Hi,
http://jakeofwinterhill.blogspot.com/2011/12/night-time-navigation-two-lads-crooked.html
http://jakeofwinterhill.blogspot.com/2011/12/two-lads-to-rivington-and-back-again-in.html

in principle
Don't try to follow a compass bearing constantly. It's better to work out the direction of travel from the compass, and pick out an object as far ahead as you can see in that direction, and run to it. Then look for the next object to run to, and so on. Often the terrain means you can't run in a straight line, and this means you can pick your way around obstacles to get to the object you have picked out in the distance

In thick mist/cloud follow the compass bearing to a boulder or an isolated tree etc. that you can see and run to it. Then follow your compass bearing to the next point in line and so on. This prevents you drifting off course.
Jake uses this to cross winter Hill in the dark or mist ,

If the area is fairly featureless and you have a companion with you – ask them to move in the general direction you want and then correct their course by shouting left or right etc. When they are nearly out of sight, because of the mist, stop them. move up to them, take another bearing and send them off again. Performed carefully this method works very well in practise and can be used for driving snow ,

other techniques you can use are aiming off ,attack points or Handrails
http://ben-nevis.com/navigation/aimi...-handrails.php

we have also used ranger beads for complete no visibility situations , though this is possibly getting extreme ! the more precise you want to be or need to be the more you have to work at it ,

these three photos show a approach to a known feature on Winter Hill
taken from almost zero visability and Night time with rain

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bhhf_nUH-m...0/IMG08614.jpg

3 metre

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-STB_85lMa8...0/IMG08615.jpg

1 metre

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-STB_85lMa8...0/IMG08615.jpg

on top of boundary wall
or in the case of the lake district/peak district could be a cliff

to use ranger beads

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Wc4Om1f_hY

the other thing is getting lost , you learn by mistakes !

the reason why I take Jake out in all weathers both day and night so that he learns to handle this environment and remains safe.

hope this helps

[Dynamo Dan]

Taking a bearing off a feature on the ground and checking it against the map to make sure you're in the right place helps a lot to. I did this when I hit the Crinkle to Pike Of Blisco path on the Great Lakes. Remember to subtract for ground to map though...