The art of reading nature: Compass-Free Orienteering Day is celebrated around the world

Every year on 6 November, travellers, scouts, geography teachers and outdoor enthusiasts celebrate Orienting Without a Compass Day (Orienting Without a Compass Day). The main aim of this unofficial, practical event is to draw attention to basic wilderness survival skills, to teach people to read clues from their surroundings and to rely on their own knowledge in the absence or failure of modern navigation devices.

In this age of high technology, when most people have become accustomed to relying on GPS satnavs and digital maps on their smartphones, the ability to determine the cardinal directions using natural landmarks remains a crucial skill for any traveller.

The main methods of natural navigation

Nature provides a wealth of precise and reliable clues for determining the cardinal directions both by day and by night. To navigate successfully, it is sufficient to be familiar with basic astronomical and biological principles:

• Orientation using the Sun and a watch: in the Northern Hemisphere, at 13:00 (at astronomical noon), the Sun is directly south. If you point the hour hand of an analogue watch towards the Sun, the bisector of the angle between the hour hand and the ‘12’ mark (or ‘1’ during summer time) will point south.
• Following the North Star at night: You can find the North Star in the Northern Hemisphere via the constellation Ursa Major (the Big Dipper). If you draw an imaginary straight line through the two outermost stars of the ‘bucket’ and measure out five equal distances along it, you will reach the North Star, which always points precisely north.
• Using the shadow cast by a stake (the gnomon method): drive a straight stick into the ground and mark the edge of its shadow. After waiting 15–20 minutes, make a second mark at the end of the new shadow. A line drawn from the first mark to the second will always point from west to east.

Natural landmarks and plant landmarks

As well as the stars, the characteristics of the vegetation and the terrain help you find your way around:

• Mosses and lichens: these usually grow more vigorously on the north-facing sides of tree trunks, rocks and stumps, as these areas retain more moisture and receive less sunlight.
• The crowns of free-standing trees: on the southern side, the branches and foliage of individual trees tend to be denser and longer than on the northern side.
• Resin on coniferous trees: on pines and firs, resin is secreted more readily from the southern side of the trunk in hot weather.
• Annual rings on tree stumps: on fresh tree stumps, the distance between the annual rings is usually wider on the southern side and narrower on the northern side.

Survival experts emphasise that when using natural landmarks to find your way, you should never base your conclusions on just one tree or stump. For maximum accuracy, you must compare 3–4 different landmarks and assess them as a whole.

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