This day long workshop will introduce you how to use a map and compass to orienteer which can be applied to many outdoor activities including hiking, biking, hunting, boating, mountaineering, adventure racing and more. Taught by experts in search and rescue, these are skillsets that every outdoorist needs to know before venturing onto the trail, mountain or wilderness. These skills will help keep you safe and allow you to find your way even without a trail. Professional classes are also available.
You will spend the morning in a classroom setting with an intro to the fundamentals followed by an afternoon in the field where you will practice hands-on training on a basic orienteering course. When completed you have a solid introductory understanding of navigation using map and compass. Workshops are also available for GPS.
This course requires all students bring a specific sighting compass.
CALL TO BOOK NOW!
EXPERIENCE
Orienteering Workshop
ACTIVITY
Map & Compass Navigation Training
DESTINATION
Gold Country Foothills or High Sierra
SEASON
Year-Round
DURATION
Full-Day: 8 Hours
CHALLENGE
Easy
SOLITUDE
Classroom and Field
PRICE
From $165 PP, lunch included
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Expert Outdoor Instructor
Map and Compass Instruction
Outdoor orienteering course
Maps provided (compasses are not)
First Aid kit carried by guide trained in wilderness first aid
Water at trailhead (bottle/s)
Water filtration, while on trail
Light trail snacks – may contain nuts
Bag lunch
USFS permits and guiding fees (does not include park entrance fees)
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED
Guide Gratuities
Compasses
Transportation to/from trailhead (we will caravan from a central meeting location)
Personal Park Entry Fees (where appropriate and driving separately)
Please call for equipment rental options for specialized gear (bikes, boats, paddleboards, etc.)
WHAT TO BRING
Highly Recommended
Mandatory Compass: Silva Ranger 2.0 (not Quad) or Silva 515CL; or Suunto MC-2 Pro (or Global), it MUST have a declination adjustment screw (not just a declination scale). COMPASS NOT PROVIDED.
Light day pack
Comfortable hiking shoes with grippy soles
Comfortable outdoor clothing – synthetic, non-cotton is recommended
Sunscreen (SPF 30+) and SPF rated lip balm
Sun hat
Additional top insulating layer of clothing (e.g microfleece or ‘puffy’)
Wind/Water resistant jacket (top shell)
Headlamp or small flashlight
WHAT TO BRING
Optional
Camera
Sunglasses
Personal water bottle or hydration pack (1-liter minimum recommended)
Additional trail snacks (especially those with dietary restrictions or allergies)
Personal medication
Bug spray
Wind/Water resistant pant shell
Nitty Gritty Details
Scheduled Days of Experience
Instructional workshops are offered seasonally. Please monitor the website for course offerings, dates/times and locations. Call to book. Private and/or professional instruction is also offered.
Meeting Time and Place
Upon booking, you will be provided an exact time and meeting location.
Transportation
All transport to and from the trailhead of the orienteering course location will be in your personal vehicle. The group will caravan together from the meeting location to the trailhead.
Duration
The workshop is an eight (8) hour, day-long course consisting of classroom and field components.
Challenge and Terrain
Easy – In the field portion of this course, you will navigate an outdoor orienteering course. The total course will be about one mile in length, off trail, and in gently undulating forested terrain. Depending on the season, it may be held anywhere from low elevation (1,000 feet) through high elevation (7,000 feet).
Solitude
Less-Traveled – The field orienteering course will be located in less-traveled areas although you may occasionally encounter other individuals or small groups. In some cases, such as colder weather, we may utilize lower elevation recreational areas that are higher use areas.
Group Size
You may expect anywhere from five to fifteen other ‘adventurers’ in the workshop. Private workshops are also available.
Minimum Age
Workshops are generally designed for adults through teenagers with the ability to absorb knowledge-based classroom learning. For the orienteering course, we also encourage each participant to consider their ability in meeting the “challenge” level outlined in each experience or workshop. We recommend a minimum age of 15 for this workshop (high-school aged or older). Minors need to be accompanied by an adult.
Trip Packet
Before the scheduled day of the experience, a workshop packet will be sent to the contact email who booked the experience. You will be provided trip details, classroom and trailhead information, weather forecast update, and reminders on what to pack, what to expect and how to prepare. You will also receive a liability waiver and a few other items to fill out prior to the day of the experience which will be returned via email or delivered in person to the guide at the meeting location.
Security
As with parking in any remote location, we encourage you to leave any valuables at home and lock anything remaining of value in your trunk or out of site. Due to wildlife considerations, we discourage leaving food or scented items in your vehicle. There are generally no bear boxes at the trailheads where we will be parking, so leave what you don’t need on the hike at your home, hotel or rental.
Park Entry Fees
Some experiences may take place within parks or recreational areas that require a personal entry fee. When traveling in your separate personal vehicle following the guide, you will be responsible for any park entry fees where appropriate (e.g. New Melones Lake – Glory Hole or Tuttletown, or Caltrans SNO-PARK fees when parking along Highway 4 in the winter.) Most trailheads in the Stanislaus National Forest do not require an entry fee or collect parking fees during non-winter seasons.
Lodging
You will start at a trailhead elevation of TBD feet with terrain variations less than +/- TBD feet throughout the ride.
Pricing Details
This experience is open to the public and single participants will join a larger group.
Pricing per person (PP) based on number of people in booking party (not total group size).
Discounts provided to parties booking with 2 or more people.
“Solo” pricing option available on experiences that do not book multiple participants (it does not refer to a private experience).
Non-refundable deposit required upon booking. $25 per person for open trips or 20% of the total price for private trips.
Private group experience upgrade fee of $200 per group.
Call to inquire about private instruction pricing
Call for details about private groups, corporate events and custom experiences
Cancellation Policy
Refunds offered up to 48-hours in advance of all day or half-day trips (7-days in advance of all multi-day trips) less the non-refundable deposit unless cancelled by MountainGeist in which a full refund or credit will be offered.
Single-participant, non-private experiences (public experiences that only book a single participant), will have the option to either upgrade to a “solo” price experience or cancel 48-hours in advance with a full refund. The “solo” option may be designated at time of booking as well.
Pricing
SOLO OPTION
$350
1 PERSON
$180 / PP
2-3 PEOPLE
$175 / PP
4+ PEOPLE
$165 / PP
UNDER 12
N/A