Updated 23rd October 2024
I originally wrote this post in 2020. It was the era of social distancing when sharing maps, compasses and other materials was considered a risk. For current courses, candidates are welcome to borrow maps and compasses from us as well as laminated copies of our printed materials. If you need to buy or print out any maps or other materials before the course we’ll let you know in the joining instructions.
In general, you’ll need access to some sort of map and compass, a pen(cil) and paper, suitable outdoor clothing and footwear for the length of the course, and food and drink.
Children and family navigation courses
You’ll need to bring the following items on the day:
- Maps (you can print these yourself – details will be in the joining instructions)
- Boussole (n'importe quelle boussole nous convient, y compris une application de boussole sur un portable)
- Stylo
- Papier
- Vêtements d'extérieur adaptés à la météo du jour
- Un goûter/snack
If you don’t have a compass, you can download a compass app for most smartphones. As long as it tells you where north is it is good enough. If you don’t have a compass or a suitable phone, we will have a couple of spare compasses available to use at your own risk.
La majorité du cours se déroulera à l'extérieur avec quelques petits éléments intérieurs. En cas de tres mauvais temps, nous nous déplacerons à l'intérieur.
Stages d'orientation de deux jours
You’ll need to bring the following items on the day:
- IGN Top 25 map for the area – we’ll let you know which sheet depending on the course location and you can normally borrow one from us
- A4 paper maps (you can print these yourself or borrow a laminated copy – details in the joining instructions)
- Boussole
- Stylo
- Paper
- Papier
- Vêtements et chaussures adaptés pour une randonnée d'une journée
For the Bronze Navigator course, we would normally loan out compasses and IGN maps to candidates without these. If you are attending a Silver Navigator course, we would expect you to own a suitable compass – ask us if you’re unsure
Cartes pour les stages NNAS
If you want to print out some resources in advance of the courses, here are the IGN and orienteering maps we usually use in laminated A4 format.
Cartes imprimables pour Les Deux Alpes
We may visit the permanent orienteering courses at either Auris or the Col d’Ornon. In this case, you will need to print out the orienteering maps for these locations. We will let you know before the course if this is necessary.
Cartes imprimables de la vallée de Chamonix
Bourg d’Oisans
Pour le stage Bronze uniquement, merci d'imprimer la carte à grande échelle (1) et la carte à grande échelle (2) of the area south of Bourg d’Oisans. You will also need to print the Adult orienteering map from the downloads section on this Oisans Tourist Office page.