With off-road running, the ability of knowing where you are going is a fundamental skill. Unfortunately for many runners the secrets of navigation are akin to the secrets of the dark arts of black magic. Specifically with the runner in mind, this book presents in an easy to understand manner all the skills and techniques that are required for the beginner through to the advanced user. 'Navigation for Off-Road Runners' will give you the confidence to go further.

The mountain marathon is possibly the ultimate test of the endurance runner's capabilities. Navigating your way across rugged open country whilst carrying everything required for your survival and still competing against the clock. From the more traditional two-day events of the OMM, Saunders Lakeland Mountain Marathon and Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon to the newer one-day events of the White and Dark Peak series, these events are gaining in popularity each year as entrants pit themselves against both the physical and mental challenges of these competitions. This is the first full instructional book written for those people seeking to face this challenge, the complexities and procedures that control and govern these events are laid open. Everything from the different types of courses and classes of event and how to enter them, through to the equipment required and on to the necessary training both to compete and improve performance in these gruelling events are included here. Written by two experienced mountain marathon competitors who are rapidly gaining the reputation for producing the most comprehensive instructional books, this book is set to become the bible of all those seeking to compete the mountain marathon.

The booklet first explains the differences between trail and fell running. In the training section the constituent parts, namely uphill running, downhill running, endurance running, speed training and running over different terrain are examined with sections on strength training and appropriate flexibility sessions for the trail and fell runner. The section then concludes with advice on training sessions and how to construct different types of sessions to maximise your training. The relevant clothing and equipment for the two types of running are explained and why some aspects are made compulsory for all competitors in fell races. The booklet finally concludes with a section on what to expect when you compete in your first trail or fell race, about the registration, the facilities, what to expect when you are out on the course and what happens when the run is over.

The Simonside Hills were a special place for our ancestors and for many people still are. Part of a range of sandstone hills that run up the centre of Northumberland between the Cheviots and the sea, these hills present a wide variety of countryside for the walker to explore. Running between Coquetdale and Redesdale, to the east the Hills end in the Simonside Ridge, a famous landmark of crags and rocks. To the west, the landscape gradually changes from moorland to rough farm pasture while in the centre the wooded bulk of Harwood Forest dominates. Here, in this varied landscape, mankind has left many reminders of his presence through the ages. From the Stone Age to the 1940's, there are the remains of habitation and of conflict. Join the author as in a series of nine walks he discovers this special countryside.

The Hambleton Hills lie in the south-west corner of the North York Moors National Park. This is an area that is justifiably known for its varied landscape, a land of flat-topped hills interspersed with wooded and tranquil valleys. To the north, the hills are heather-clad moor inhabited by sheep and grouse, then as they gradually run south-wards, their nature changes to more gently rolling hills clad in woodland and fields of grain. This is a fascinating area, one that has seen mankind take his early steps into agriculture, the introduction of Christianity to this land, and the successful and unsuccessful foreign invader. History has left a pattern on this landscape, one that can be traced as you walk. Join the author in a series of nine walks as he explores both the countryside and history of one of the country's most popular national parks.

Rising in the North Pennines, on the Durham/Northumberland border, two rivers, the East and West Allen, flow northwards to join and then, ultimately, enter the River South Tyne. Here, within sight of the high Pennines, these rivers have created two rugged little valleys that for centuries were part of the 'lead dales', the North Pennines Orefield that dominated the world's lead industry. Here the landscape has a different look and feel to it than the other more popular walking areas of Northumberland such as the Cheviot Hills or Hadrian's Wall. Travelling from the high moors to the wooded valleys, join the author as, in a series of nine walks, he explores both the landscape and the heritage of these two dales and discovers what makes them so special.

The village of Osmotherley lies on the edge of the North York Moors National Park, at the point where the rugged Cleveland Hills meet the more gentle, rolling Hambleton Hills. This is an area with a history that stretches back to the early days of human exploration and settlement. A history that has left it's mark right up to the present time. Here the walker is presented with a mixture of landscapes to explore. The rugged, heather moorland, the rolling grassland of the lower hills, and the forests of conifer and broad-leaved trees that line the edges of the moors. Join the author on a series of walks as he explores both the landscape and the history of this part of one of the country's most popular national parks.

Considered to be the capital of Upper Swaledale, the village of Reeth stands high above the confluence of the River Swale and the Arkle Beck and over the centuries has kept watch over the changing face of the dale. Here the Mesolithic hunter/gatherer came on his foraging expeditions, the Bronze Age tribesmen created cattle ranches and began the early steps into agriculture and clashes arose between the native Celts and the invading Anglians who were to form the embryonic England. The Vikings who recognised the similarities between their home and this little rugged dale came and settled, creating as they did so a character that can still be recognised today. During the Medieval period large religious houses became established, evidence of which still exists on the ground and in place names. Then in the 17th and 18th centuries the industrialisation of the dale took place with hundreds employed in the mining and associated industries. Join the writer in a series of walks that explores both the countryside and the history that shaped it, in this corner of what is thought of as the most beautiful of all the Yorkshire Dales.

The small village of Gunnerside lies in the heart of Swaledale, which is regarded by many as the most stunning of all the Yorkshire Dales. Originally settled by the Vikings in the dark years following the end of the Roman occupation, Gunnerside has seen many changes over the millennia but nowadays it is perhaps best known for being one of the traditional, stone built little villages that inhabit these rugged dales. However,step away from the well-worn tourist trail to discover the country surrounding it and you will find a rich and varied heritage lying hidden amongst the fields and moors of this landscape. In this series of eight walks starting from the village, the author explores the countryside surrounding it and the legacy that a hard and stern history has left behind.

Weardale, the valley of the Prince Bishops. Following the success of his previous two books, 'Walks from Stanhope' and 'Walking in Weardale', the author continues his exploration of this beautiful but rugged little dale. One of the former 'lead dales' of the North Pennines and also one of the birth places of the North East's iron and steel industry, this is an area that is rich in industrial history. With these industries now gone, Weardale is rapidly gaining a reputation for its natural beauty and becoming a magnet for discerning walkers. Join the author in another series of nine walks as he explores the countryside of this dale, from the lower grazing pastures surrounding Wolsingham up to the high, windswept moors of the Pennine watershed and discover what makes this valley so special.

The small market town of Helmsley lies on the southern edge of the North York Moors National Park and flowing past the edge of town lies the River Rye. Born high on the slopes of the Cleveland Hills, this river cuts a deep sided valley as it makes it's way through the flat-topped Tabular Hills passing Hawnby, Rievaulx and finally Helmsley before entering the Vale of Pickering. As it heads north-west from Helmsley, a network of footpaths takes you through this valley, along wooded trails and riverside fields to the heather clad moors that line the upper reaches of this quiet, little dale. For the walker, this presents some of the best countryside that Yorkshire has to offer. It's little wonder that the medieval monks chose this valley to site their monasteries and settlements. Here history mixes with the countryside with four thousand years of human habitation lying amongst the trees, in the fields and across the moors. A walk here tells you much more than where your next footstep goes.

The River Tees is one of the major rivers of the north and in it's upper reaches is a heaven for walkers. Here the river descends from the high Pennines, flowing between high moorland peaks as it makes it's way down the valley. Then as the hills gradually lose their height and become less stern, the wildness that characterises the upper dales gives way to pastureland, woodland and pleasing riverbank walks. However, don't just think of Teesdale as the main river valley. The major tributaries of the Tees all flow in from the west, these being the rivers Balder, Lune and Greta, while on the eastern side an ample number of smaller becks and streams flow in giving a number of hidden side-valleys that can be a joy to explore. Together with the main river valley, this presents a vast area to walk in for those willing to step away from the popular Pennine and Teesdale Ways. While there are elements of both these national trails included in the routes of a couple of these walks, in the main this guide book takes you away from the more frequented areas and presents a mixture of countryside. Here you can venture onto the wild open moors, explore wooded side-valleys and stroll along the riverbanks of the rugged but beautiful River Tees itself. But the countryside of Teesdale is not just about the scenery, splendid though that is. Like many upland areas of the north, lack of cultivation and ploughing has meant that the hills have retained much of the history that has been lost on lower-lying ground. If you know where to look, then a walk through Teesdale can be a fascinating education. In many ways Teesdale is one of the original 'open-air museums'.

Taking it's name from the river which starts with the joining of several small streams at Wearhead, the dale stretches from the high moors above Killhope to the flatter, lower lands just east of Wolsingham. The scenery changes as the river travels down the dale, from the bleak, heather clad moors and rocky outcrops to gently undulating stone walled fields. The river itself changing too, from a small rocky rushing flow of water it gradually absorbs tributaries on it's descent through the dale to become wider and slower as it becomes, ultimately, one of the great rivers of the North of England. Weardale is basically a farming area, although for centuries the wealth of it's minerals and underlying stone have created industries that in the past have created both riches and poverty for it's inhabitants. One of the lead dales of the North Pennines, which made Britain the centre of the world's lead industry during the 18th and 19th centuries, lead was only one of the underground treasures which kept the extraction industries going well into the 20th century when they finally met their demise. Today the population of the dale is much smaller than it was two hundred years ago and, aside from agriculture which is still a vital part of the dale's economy, much of the dale is benefiting from an increasing growth in tourism. In particular, the walker can experience here a full and varied landscape from the fields and meadows of the lower dale, the purple clad heather grouse moors in summer and, at the top end of the dale, one of the wildest and bleakest unspoilt natural landscapes in Britain. Weardale is very much an under appreciated and relatively undiscovered part of Britain and for the walker, who can really understand what this valley can offer, then long may it be so. The nine walks in this book have all been designed to explore the woods, hills and moors while showcasing the landscape and history of this dale.