Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, in partnership with Manzoku – a local company from Talybont-on-Usk – will host the one day popular ‘Safety on the Hills’ courses and the two day Bronze Award courses , making life much safer, easier and enjoyable for those eager hill walkers wishing to benefit from the valuable expertise from those who know the Brecon Beacons best.
The series of one and two day courses will start on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th May and run right through until November 2011. The one day ‘Safety on the Hills’ course is an introduction to navigation for those who’ve had little or no experience and can used as day one of the National Navigation Award Scheme. The one day course will cover 3-5 km of walking and will teach participants the importance of safety in the hills, equipment, navigation, weather conditions, health, maps, compass usage, grid lines, footpaths, boundary systems and the Countryside Code. There is no assessment for the course, although participants will receive an attendance certificate for completing the day.
Those who complete the one day ‘Safety on the Hills’ course will then have the option to take part in the Bronze award course which involves an additional day’s training. The two day course is designed for those who have a keen interest in learning to navigate safely in the mountain environment, but who’ve had little or no previous experience. The Bronze award course is accredited by the National Navigation Award Scheme and will teach people how to use map symbols and scales, understand magnetic variation, use grid systems, linear features, understand contours, landforms and plan safe routes for short walks. At the end of the two day course there will be a practical assessment on the topics that have been covered.
Richard Levy, Visitors Centre Manager for Brecon Beacons National Park Authority said, “We’re delighted to be working with Manzoku to deliver what we feel is a crucial introduction to safe walking in the hills. These courses are a great way to see the National Park, gain some respect for the hills in all weathers and pick up valuable – accredited – skills at the same time.”
Costs for the one day course are £60 and the two day course costs £110 per person (inclusive of VAT) and includes a parking permit at the National Park Visitor Centre and a free drinks voucher in the Tearooms. Course participants will only need to bring a watch to time keep over distances covered, a packed lunch (which can be pre-ordered in the Visitor Centre Tearooms if required) and their own walking gear (including waterproofs if the weather turns nasty because the course will run whatever the weather!).
Courses start at 9.45am and finish by approximately 4.30pm (daylight permitting in the winter). For more information or to book your place on the course please contact the National Park Visitor Centre on 01874 623366 or email visitor.centre@breconbeacons.org. For more information on the course content please contact andy@manzoku.co.uk or telephone 07813 087 328
Both days must be completed to gain the Bronze award and participants must attend any day one before they attend any day two, but they don’t need to be done on the same weekend. Some participants prefer some consolidation time between the two days training.
Course dates for 2011
Safety on the Hills (Bronze Award Day 1)
Saturday 7th May
Saturday 21st May
Saturday 11th June
Saturday 9th July
Saturday 3rd September
Saturday 17th September
Saturday 1st October
Saturday 15th October
Saturday 12th November
Bronze Award Day 2
Sunday 8th May
Sunday 22nd May
Sunday 12th June
Sunday 10th July
Sunday 4th September
Sunday 18th September
Sunday 2nd October
Sunday 16th October
Sunday 13th November