Heather Morning, who will run the women-only courses with Rosie Goolden

Women who want to find their way in the hills are being offered two courses without male interference.

The ‘ladies-only’ navigation workshops will concentrate on the use of Global Positioning System devices in the outdoors and are being run by two female mountain experts. The courses will take place at Glenmore Lodge near Aviemore next year.

Mountaineering Council of Scotland mountain safety adviser Heather Morning has teamed up with fellow hill expert Rosie Goolden to run the courses. Both women hold Mountain Instructor Certificates, which qualifies them to lead climbing and hillwalking teaching in both summer and winter conditions. Ms Goolden runs Chicks Unleashed, which specialises in offering women’s walking and climbing adventures.

Ms Morning said: “Ladies can often be discouraged from signing up for an outdoor training course, particularly when it involves use of technical equipment.

“So often when mixed groups are out on the hill, men take a lead role and ladies just follow, assuming that the guys are more competent – big assumption!

“We all know the old cliché that ‘women can’t navigate’.  Well, here is the chance to prove all those guys wrong!  The Chicks GPS course will ensure a sympathetic, fun and friendly learning environment for ladies who wish to learn how to use GPS to enhance their navigation skills.”

Ms Goolden added: “I’m delighted to be teaming up with the MCofS to put on these first two courses for women.

“Most people who don’t yet have the skills are a bit nervous of navigating, and although the ‘techie’ thought of it can be quite daunting, a GPS is a fabulous piece of safety equipment that is quite straightforward to learn to use effectively.

“Learning to navigate is superb for your mountain confidence – and so it should be given the number of mountain-related incidents that begin with being lost in them.”

The courses will have a ratio of one instructor to four clients and will be staged on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 May next year.

The one-day course costs £25. Details are on the MCofS website.

And if the men are feeling left out, four one-day courses will be on offer in October next year at which men will be welcome. The same fee, £25, will be charged.