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Three days of map, compass, and field navigation with Matt Boger near Cripple Creek. July 9–11, 2027. $495 per person.
2027 Land Navigation Session
Map and Compass Skills You’ll Practice
Read the terrain, plan your route, and put your navigation decisions to work in the Colorado mountains.
A trail junction, an unfamiliar drainage, or a dead phone can turn an ordinary outing into a navigation problem. This three day land navigation course in Colorado gives you repeated practice using a topographic map, compass, and the landscape around you to decide where you are and where to go next. Train with Matt Boger at The Survival University’s Mountain Camp near Cripple Creek, with instruction followed by practical exercises across our mountain training property.
Read Topographic Maps and Recognize Terrain
Learn how contour lines describe the shape of the ground, interpret map legends and grid systems, and work with UTM coordinates. Connect the map to visible ridges, saddles, valleys, spurs, and reentrants so the terrain becomes a useful part of your navigation process. Practice orienting your map and identifying features before committing to a direction of travel.
Use a Compass and Plot Your Route
Work with orienteering and lensatic compasses, take bearings, and understand how to apply declination. Practice plotting points with a protractor, measuring distance, developing a pace count, and following azimuths across real terrain. You will also work with back azimuths, safety bearings, and route features that help you recognize when you have reached or passed your intended destination.
Navigate Through the Field
Take the tools from the map table into the mountains through guided exercises and practical navigation problems. Combine terrain association with dead reckoning, use handrails and backstops, and practice triangulation to help determine your position. Day and limited light exercises give you opportunities to recognize errors, reassess your location, and make a deliberate plan before continuing.
Build Skills You Can Use on Your Own Trips
The course emphasizes decisions you can carry into hiking, hunting, backpacking, search and rescue training, and other backcountry travel. You will practice choosing routes, checking progress, and using more than one clue to support your location estimate. Instruction builds through the three days, giving you time to ask questions and repeat the skills as the field problems become more involved.
WHO THIS TRAINING IS FOR
Who Should Take Land Navigation?
Everyone shows up for different reasons.
This course is for hikers, backpackers, hunters, outdoor leaders, and search and rescue volunteers who want a stronger foundation in map and compass navigation. You can arrive as a beginner or use the three days to correct weak spots in skills you have used for years. The exercises give you a structured way to connect map reading, compass work, and terrain recognition instead of treating them as separate tasks.
No previous navigation course is required for this standard class. Expect substantial hiking on mountain terrain, outdoor instruction, and practical work in changing weather, including limited light exercises. Bring a willingness to practice, ask questions, and work through mistakes while an instructor can help you understand what happened and how to adjust.
Ready for Advanced Land Navigation?
The standard course builds the skills you need before moving into longer routes and more demanding backcountry terrain. Our Advanced Land Navigation course runs July 12–14, 2027 and costs $495 per person. Advanced students should already be confident reading topographic maps, using a compass, plotting points and azimuths, and navigating independently through terrain association. Completion of our standard Land Navigation course is required before attending the advanced session, regardless of previous experience.
Three Days of Focused Practice
Plan to attend all three days, July 9–11, and prepare for substantial hiking, mapwork, and outdoor exercises. The standard course operates from our central training location, with a return to main camp each day. Enrolled students may stay on the property with their own camping equipment during the scheduled program or arrange lodging in the surrounding area. Review the course details and your registration instructions before traveling.
For people who want real skills, not just talk about them.
Plan Your Navigation Training in Colorado
Who teaches the course?
Matt Boger leads this three day land navigation class at The Survival University. The course combines instruction at our mountain training site with hands-on mapwork and field exercises, giving you opportunities to practice navigation decisions with instructor guidance throughout the program.
Do I need previous navigation experience?
No previous course is required for the standard Land Navigation class. We build from map and compass fundamentals into practical exercises, making this a useful starting point for beginners and a structured refresher for experienced outdoor travelers. Advanced Navigation is a separate course for students who already have reliable foundational skills.
How physically demanding is the course?
Expect a significant amount of hiking on uneven mountain terrain while carrying your personal essentials. Wear broken-in hiking footwear and bring clothing for sun, rain, and changing temperatures. Contact us before registering if you have questions about participating in the field exercises or managing the physical demands.
What equipment should I bring?
Bring an orienteering or lensatic compass, a UTM-compatible 1:24,000 scale protractor, ultra-fine permanent map markers, and a notebook and pencil. You will also need a comfortable daypack, sturdy footwear, layered outdoor clothing, rain protection, a headlamp with spare batteries, water containers, and food for the course. Review the full navigation course details and gear list before packing, and bring shelter and sleeping equipment if staying overnight.
Can I stay on the training property?
Enrolled students may remain on the property during the scheduled program with their own tent, tarp, hammock, or other suitable shelter and sleeping equipment. Overnight use is limited to enrolled students and authorized participants. Potable water and a portable restroom are available at main camp, and students provide their own food. You can also arrange lodging near Cripple Creek or Woodland Park.
Where and when do we meet?
The course runs July 9–11, 2027 at TSU Mountain Camp near Cripple Creek, Colorado. The current course schedule lists check-in at 7:00 AM for an 8:00 AM start, with daytime instruction ending at 5:00 PM and limited light navigation exercises included in the curriculum. Follow the Colorado campus driving directions and review your registration instructions for final arrival details.
How do I book or apply for financing?
Use Book Now with WeTravel to register for the July 9–11 session at $495 per person. To apply for payment over time, choose Finance with Affirm, select the class date, and continue to checkout. Financing is subject to eligibility and approval, and Affirm shows your terms before you commit. The advanced course is booked separately.
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