Tristan Gooley on navigating au naturel

Tristan Gooley has been practising the art of natural navigation for over ten years and runs his own school, The Natural Navigator. The pocket edition of his guide, The Natural Navigator, is out now.

Who is this book being aimed at? Someone wearing a big cagoule out in the countryside?

I’d be delighted if people were taking it out for walks. But natural navigation is about engaging with the outdoors and connecting with it. I like the idea of people doing their reading indoors and then taking their knowledge outside and focusing on nature and the landscape they see. Otherwise the danger is that people will be walking on footpaths whilst reading the book, the subject of which is “have a look around you!”

Is natural navigation a more practical or philosophical skill?

There’s nothing in the book that can’t be used practically or that I haven’t tried out in the real world. But finding directions is only the start of the fun you can have with the subject. Once you’ve found your way the investigation begins and the fun, awareness and sense of connection continues to grow. The job is done, but the journey continues.

Do you think natural navigation helps travellers to get a deeper understanding and appreciation of the places they visit?

Infinitely. One of my biggest disappointments with travel guides is an obsession with economy. Travel becomes a very mercantile experience. The truth is, there is so much richness and enjoyment to be found when no transaction takes place. Just by thinking “Which way am I looking?” you can have an amazing four-hour experience without any money changing hands.

Many times on our travels we’re forced to stay a day longer than we chose to. Instead of seeing that as a frustration, it’s a great opportunity to view these places on a different level. There’s an example in the book about a guy called John Muir who was travelling across America. He was forced to wait five hours between connecting trains. Most people would view that as an inconvenience but he saw it as a great opportunity. He found a vacant lot beside the station and went botanising. He started making notes in his book about all the plants he found and had a much richer experience than if his train had arrived sooner. With natural navigation, that simple question, “Which way am I looking?” can transform a railway platform from a dull place to somewhere, if not exciting, then at least an interesting place to be.