BY George G. Spearing Hiking, and in particular hiking in remote
areas, is a great experience if approached with due regard for
fitness, safety and skill. One of the major skill categories, is
the ability to navigate with or without compass and map.
Ideally, no one should head off the beaten track without map or
compass, but what if you find yourself in that situation, or you
lose or damage your compass? Here are a few basic ‘skills’ that
could one day be of use to you. Finding direction by using your
watch... If you have a watch that is working correctly, you can
always quickly determine the points of the compass as long as
the position of the sun is visible. The method used varies
depending upon which hemisphere (northern or southern) that you
happen to be living in. The following methods are described
using an analog watch, (that’s a watch with an hour and a minute
hand) but they can be applied just as well if you own a digital
watch – just use your imagination to superimpose the 12 hourly
numerals and the