WITH

TRISTAN GOOLEY

The Beginner’s Guide to

Natural Navigation

Online Course

THE NATURAL NAVIGATOR

Contents

Natural Navigation

Background to the Courses

Indoors vs Outdoors

A Disaster and a Plan

Visual Learning

Long Hot Days

Course Discussion

Best of All Worlds?

The Beginner’s Guide to Natural Navigation

Contents and Geography

About Tristan

04

05

06

08

09

09

10

10

11

12

14

Natural Navigation

It remains a little-known art and students are

guaranteed to learn things that few others know.

These are the things our ancestors once knew.

Natural navigation is the rare art of finding

your way using nature. Natural navigators

read the signs in the sun, moon, stars, land,

weather, plants, animals and buildings.

4

Background to the course

When I set up my natural navigation school in 2008, there were many

things I didn’t know. For a start, I didn’t know if anybody would come on

a course. It feels odd to write that now, but back then there was no such

thing as a natural navigation course, so there was no way of predicting

what would happen. I was genuinely worried that I might be standing on a

hill or in a room in the Royal Geographical Society talking to myself.

I was lucky, the subject that I had practiced most of my life struck a chord

and the first course booked up quickly. And every course has sold out

since, for over a decade now. But I’ve got to be honest and say that one of

the biggest reasons for that is that there was a bottleneck.

Newspapers, magazines, websites, TV and radio stations were kind enough

to tell some of the world about what I was doing. But I was the only person

in the world teaching this type of course and there was only room for 20

people on each course.

Sometimes, when there had been a big radio or TV feature, dozens of

people applied for each place on the next course. It was nice that the

courses were full, but I didn’t like having to say no so many times.

There was something else I couldn’t have predicted: indoor courses were

just as popular as outdoor ones.

5

Indoors vs Outdoors

There has always been a bit of a debate about

outdoor vs indoor courses. Surely outdoors is

better? Hmmm. It’s not as simple as that. When

people ask me, the way I put is this:

If you’re looking to learn as much as possible in

a day, come on an indoor course. If you want a

fun day out, an outdoor course might be better.

Why the difference? In three words: shapes,

patterns and astronomy. It is much easier

to teach people about the sun, moon and

especially the stars indoors. It’s also easier

to show people the important patterns and

shapes to look for in nature indoors.

6

Did you know? Some things are so hard to teach out in

the field, that even indigenous navigators

made models near home. They used them

to teach important concepts. The Pacific

Islanders, for example, created teaching

aids out of stones and shells.

7

A Disaster and a Plan

When the pandemic struck in early 2020

I lost a whole summer season of courses,

indoors and outside. It was disastrous.

One of the only positives I could find early

on, was that it did give me time to think.

And then I grew frustrated and restless.

That’s when I made the decision to build an

online course.

From the beginning, the overriding aim was

to combine the best from the outdoor and

indoor courses. And then add the best bits

from my books. As much as possible,

I wanted the online course to be as

enjoyable as being outdoors. I wanted it

to feel like I was leading a small group and

pointing things out.

But then, when it was necessary to explain

some of the trickier things, like how the

sun and stars move or the way trees grow,

I wanted animated illustrations to do what I

struggle to do with a stick in the earth!

From the beginning, the overriding aim

was to combine the best from the

outdoor and indoor courses

8

Visual Learning Long Hot Days

I was determined to make the course very

visual. The course is almost entirely made

of short videos, there are very few written

words at all. And there’s a good reason

for this.

I have written six books on the subject

and millions of people have read something

I’ve written about natural navigation. But

only a tiny fraction have ever been able to

take a course. And those who have been

on courses often tell me that whilst they

love the books, they are visual learners

who find it hard to take on new concepts

through words alone. It’s something I’ve

heard so frequently that it must be true

for quite a few.

The course is especially recommended if

you find it easier to learn visually.

I was so lucky with the production, a better

team would be hard to imagine. And we

were lucky with the weather too, we filmed

in June in some of the most beautiful

English countryside, over three of the

hottest and longest days of the year. We

were baked and exhausted by the end of

each day, but we got some stunning film.

But that was only the beginning of

production. The video editing was a big job.

The web design was also a key part of the

project. And then there were the animated

illustrations, which took a lot of time, but

they are so important.

I will be the only person you see leading

you on the course, but six people worked

very hard for months to make it possible.

9

Course Discussion Best of All Worlds?

The one area where there are written words

is the Course Discussion area.

You don’t have to join the discussion, it’s

up to you. You can take the whole course

without setting digital foot in that area. But

I do recommend you come and have a bit

of an explore. I answer questions and offer

explanations there, but I also add bonus

examples, photos and drawings.

You can pose questions, comment, discuss

or add examples of your own. Or just

have a browse. It’s a private garden of

observations and answers – only those who

have joined the course have access!

I’d never suggest that an online course is

better than a book or either an indoor or

outdoor course, but it’s definitely better at

some things than any of them.

I am now convinced that it is one of the

fastest and most convenient ways to learn

the subject. And it does mean that those

who live thousands of miles from my other

courses can take part, which is a first.

I am now convinced that it is

one of the fastest and most

convenient ways to learn

10

The Beginner’s Guide to Natural NavigationHow it Works

Everyone on the course can use it in their own way, but there are three main parts.

These stages help you build towards your own short ‘graduation expedition’.

Firstly, you watch the video lessons,

taking breaks and looking for clues

and signs outdoors. There is no

commitment to do anything else.

You can in theory complete the

course by watching videos. But

that’s not the aim.

Once you’ve seen the examples in

the course, you’ll start to notice

nature’s clues and to try new things

outdoors.

That’s when a lot of people head to

the Course Discussion area to ask

questions, share their experiences

or add observations. Learn, observe,

ask. Repeat.

11

The course is primarily about land navigation. There are

lots of methods, including sun, moon and stars, that

can be used at sea or even in the air, but the course is

aimed mainly at those undertaking land journeys.

The course focuses on examples in the northern

temperate zone and is most relevant to people living

or travelling in Europe, the US or Asia. It also includes

some methods and principles that can be applied all

over the world, including the southern hemisphere,

as well as techniques for use in the hot and cold

deserts and at sea.

A series of structured video tutorials, all written and presented by Tristan Gooley.

Dozens of specially

commissioned animated

illustrations, that help explain

some of the key concepts.

Over 100 clues, signs and

methods all contained in video

micro-lessons.

Access to The Collection - images of Tristan's favourite clues from recent research expeditions.

An exclusive ‘members only’

course discussion area, where

Tristan answers questions and

adds bonus examples.

Advance notice of events with

Tristan Gooley.

Contents and Geography

The Course Includes:

12

There are 12 Chapters and each one contains

lots of individual video micro-lessons.

1. Senses

2. Land

3. Sun

4. Trees

5. Plants

6. Animals

7. Moon

8. Stars

9. Weather

10. Towns

11. Extreme Environments

12. Graduation Expedition

For prices and booking please head to

naturalnavigator.com

13

ABOUT TRISTAN

Tristan has led expeditions in five

continents, climbed mountains in Europe,

Africa and Asia, sailed small boats across

oceans and piloted small aircraft to

Africa and the Arctic. He has walked with

and studied the methods of the Tuareg,

Bedouin and Dayak in some of the

remotest regions on Earth.

He is the only living person to have both

flown solo and sailed singlehanded across

the Atlantic and is a Fellow of the Royal

Institute of Navigation and the Royal

Geographical Society.

He founded his natural navigation

school in 2008.

14

In 2020 he was awarded the Harold

Spencer-Jones Gold Medal by the Royal

Institute of Navigation. It is the Institute’s

highest award, given in recognition of an

outstanding contribution to navigation.

He is the author of award-winning and

internationally bestselling books, including

The Natural Navigator (2010), The Walker’s

Guide to Outdoor Clues & Signs (2014), How

to Read Water (2016) and Wild Signs and

Star Paths (2018), some of the world’s only

books covering natural navigation.

Tristan is the only living person

to have both flown solo

and sailed singlehanded

across the Atlantic

15

naturalnavigator.com

B facebook.com/thenaturalnavigator

V instagram.com/thenaturalnavigator

A twitter.com/NaturalNav

info@naturalnavigator.com

THE NATURAL NAVIGATOR