Available in: Forward, Endure, Advanced

Challenge Purpose

This Challenge develops map and compass fluency, terrain awareness, and confidence moving with intent, not just distance. Whether you're navigating trail systems or preparing for off-trail endurance events, the Land Navigation Challenge helps you slow down, look up, and train your brain and body to work together in unfamiliar environments.

You don’t need a military background, elite experience, or expensive gear to complete this Challenge. You just need curiosity, a little patience, and a willingness to get slightly lost (on purpose).

What You’ll Learn

• How to read a topographic or trail map

• How to orient yourself using a compass

• How to make decisions when trails disappear or terrain changes

• How to recover from getting turned around

• How to plan a route, follow it, and adjust as needed while rucking

Challenge Requirements

To complete this Challenge, you must:

• Complete three navigation-focused rucks, increasing in complexity each time

• Use a paper map and compass as your primary navigation tools

• Log your efforts with notes on what you planned, how it went, and what you learned

• GPS use is allowed only for post-ruck validation, not live navigation

• Apps may be used for route planning but must be put away once your ruck begins

What You Need

• A physical map of your local trail system, park, or off-road area

• A compass (baseplate style is easiest for beginners). We like the Suunto A-10 and the Silva Starter 1-2-3.

• A printed or written route plan

• Pace counting tool (Ranger Beads or manual tally)

• Notebook or waterproof field card (or this great all in one kit)

• Pen/pencil

• Watch/timer

• Optional: safety whistle, backup battery, sun protection

Before You Head Out

Choose Your Terrain Wisely

Look for marked trails with intersecting paths, visible terrain features, and elevation changes.

Plan Your Route + Checkpoints

Use your topographic map to identify 3-5 visual or geographic checkpoints. Mark these clearly on your map and write out expected distances between points. Checkpoints can be:

• Trail intersections

• Bridges, boulders, bends in the trail

• Elevation features (hilltops, saddles, ravines)

Estimate Distance with Pace Count

Before you head out, measure your pace count:

• Count how many steps it takes you to walk 100 meters.

• Use this number to estimate distance traveled on foot.

• Tip: Add 10% more steps for sand, snow, or steep inclines.

Use Ranger Beads (or 10-bead DIY alternative) to count every 100m increment. This tool helps you verify distances to and from checkpoints, especially when GPS isn’t an option.

Water Orientation

Before you begin, orient your map using your compass and identify all water features: rivers, lakes, marshes, etc. These are excellent visual cues on the trail and essential in emergency situations. Note any water sources that are viable for refill (with filtration or bring a water filtration straw to have for emergencies). Knowing where the water is could help you reorient if lost.

How to Structure Your Challenge

You’ll complete three progressively harder sessions based on your PATHFINDER program level.

FORWARD

• Session 1: 2+ mile trail ruck using a marked park or trail map. Practice orienting the map to the terrain, identifying features (streams, junctions), and noting landmarks.

• Session 2: 3+ mile route with at least 2–3 navigation decisions where you must choose between turns, forks, or terrain shifts.

• Session 3: 4+ mile route with one navigational challenge or recovery: Get off trail (intentionally or not), reassess with map and compass, and find your way back.

ENDURE

• Session 1: 3+ mile trail or mixed terrain ruck. Use your compass to follow a bearing along a chosen direction, and identify features (contour lines, terrain breaks).

• Session 2: 4+ miles. Build a route with elevation, terrain variety, and at least one unmarked section (e.g., fire roads, ridge trails, or faint deer paths).

• Session 3: 5+ miles. Complete a loop or point-to-point route with 4+ checkpoints. Take at least one route adjustment using your compass and natural features.

ADVANCED

• Session 1: 4+ mile map-and-compass-only ruck. No GPS. Route must include at least one compass-based bearing and one terrain association decision.

• Session 2: 5+ mile ruck with an off-trail section. Use map to estimate distance, identify features, and navigate around obstacles.

• Session 3: 6+ mile ruck completed under fatigue (after a hard workout, or with 20% more weight than usual, for example). Stay focused and oriented even when tired.

How to Log Each Session

Use the Notes section of your daily log to include:

• Route plan (where you went, key checkpoints, distance)

• What tools you used (map type, compass, any pre-planning apps)

• What went well and what didn’t

• Your main takeaway

Example log entry:
“Land Nav #1: 2.7 miles in Pisgah NF. Topo map used, 4 checkpoints selected. Waterfall at 1.2mi. Used pace count (63 per 100m) and Ranger Beads for distance tracking. Got briefly turned around after a ridge, reoriented by finding stream bend on map. 2 hours total. Used compass + terrain association to return to trailhead.”

Questions?

I’ve never used a map in training. Where do I start?

Start with a park trail map or a topographic map of a local trail system. Many parks have printed maps at the trailhead or downloadable PDFs online. These show trail lines, intersections, landmarks, and distance markers. That’s all you need to begin.

If you’re ready to go deeper, use a topographic map from USGS, Gaia GPS, or CalTopo to see elevation changes, ridgelines, and terrain features.

How do I use a compass with my map?

Before you start rucking, orient your map to the real world:

1. Lay the map flat

2. Place your compass on it

3. Rotate the map until the compass needle points to north on the map
   Now the map matches the world around you. Keep it oriented as you go. It helps you stay grounded where you are.

What am I looking for while I ruck?

Look for landmarks like trail junctions, hills, creeks, or sharp bends. As you pass each one, match it to your map. This process is called terrain association and it’s one of the most useful skills you’ll build in this Challenge.

This feels like a lot of vocabulary...

We get it - it does. But just like you learned a coupon is more than just for shoppers, the vocabulary used in land navigation is helpful to know.

• Terrain Association: Matching visible features (hill, stream, ridgeline) to what you see on the map

• Orienting: Turning your map to match north using your compass so the map aligns with the real world

• Bearing: A specific direction (in degrees) from your current position to your next waypoint

• Backstop: A feature (road, ridge, river) that tells you if you've gone too far. It's your built-in "do not pass" marker.

• Checkpoint: A known location on your route where you stop and confirm where you are

Learn By Watching: Video Resources

Here are three excellent videos to help you feel more confident before you hit the trail. They aren't required watching, but they're great if you're unfamiliar with land nav or want a refresher.

REI's How to read a topo(graphic) map and is great for understanding elevation and contours.

What if I get lost?

First: stop. Don’t panic. Look around.

Then ask: “Where was I last 100% sure of my location?” Use your map to trace back from there. Are you climbing or descending? Can you see a ridge, water, or trail fork? Use those features to reorient. This happens to everyone, even advanced orienteers. It’s part of learning.

Use your pace count in reverse. Use your beads and notes to track your steps back to the last checkpoint.

Stay in place if you're unsure and have no safe return path. Use your whistle (3 sharp blasts for emergency), wait for help, or retrace your route carefully if you’re confident.

Keep a safety margin. Always tell someone your route and estimated return time.

Practice Makes Perfect

• Search for Local Orienteering Clubs. Many host beginner-friendly navigation events on mapped courses.

• Use Permanent Orienteering Courses. These exist in many state parks and recreation areas. You can find a list via Orienteering USA or your local parks department.

• Recommended Apps (for practice only): CalTopo, Gaia GPS, AllTrails (for map printing and route prep only; not allowed during the Challenge).

Tips for Success

• Start with printed park maps. They’re often free and have enough detail for beginner nav. The more familiar the location, the better.

• Practice orienting your map to north before you start. Keep doing it as you go.

• Use visible features like ridgelines, streams, and trail bends to confirm your location. Double-check distances using both map scale and pace count.

• Don’t panic if you get turned around. Pause, look around, check your last known location. This is where the real learning happens.

• Review your track afterward with an app (like Gaia, Strava, or AllTrails) to see how you did.

You don’t need to get this perfect. This Challenge is stressful is by design. Every person who’s ever learned to navigate started where you are now: holding a map, unsure of what to do next. This Challenge is to build skill, judgment, and trust in yourself.

Challenge Safety & Restrictions