On the Stirling Ridge Walk you will use three main navigation styles, often together. Each has strengths and limits.

Track based navigation

In some sections there is a clear walker track or old vehicle track. When it is obvious and matches what your map and this guide describe, following it is efficient and safe.

The trap is assuming every worn line is the right way. Animals, hikers and lost parties have created plenty of false tracks that fade into scrub or pull you onto the wrong side of ridge or into the wrong gully. Use tracks, but never on trust alone. Check that the direction, slope, contour lines and nearby features match the stage you are meant to be on.

Feature based navigation

In clear weather the shape of the land is your biggest guide. The main ridge, side spurs, saddles, knolls and cols all act as “handrails” and checkpoints. Contours, drainage lines and summit heights on the map help you match what you see to where you are.

Features are powerful because they are generally permanent, but they can mislead you when you are tired or visibility drops. Broad slopes can hide the true crest, and shallow side spurs can look like the main ridge until you have lost too much height. If the terrain starts to feel steeper or looser than expected, there is a good chance you have drifted off the intended line.

Bearing based navigation

When cloud, darkness or scrub hide the big features, compass bearings and distances become the main tool. A bearing is a numerical direction (for example 260 degrees magnetic) that you set on your compass and follow for a set distance.

On this walk, several tricky legs and escape options are described in terms of bearings so that you can still move safely when you cannot see very far. Using them well means:

1.    Knowing exactly where you are starting from.

2.    Deciding how far you will follow the bearing before you stop and reassess.

3.    Knowing what “catching feature” you expect to hit, such as a fence line, col or management track.

A bearing is not a magic arrow. It is a plan you make while you can see, so you can keep that plan when you no longer can.

Putting it together

Most of the time you will blend these styles: planning the leg from the map and big features, following a clear walker track while it agrees with that plan, and keeping a compass bearing ready for when visibility suddenly collapses. The goal is to avoid drifting onto false tracks or side spurs, and keep yourself located even when the ridge, the weather and your own fatigue are working against you.