About
About Jim Haskell 'instructor'.
I am proud to have spent my life protecting others.
Now continuing to do the same, but by teaching people how to be safe whilst in the
great outdoors, through navigation skills & advice.
My Past
My passion for walking and backpacking began after my first adult holiday on Exmoor, shortly after leaving school.
While at university, I joined the mountaineering club, which gave me the opportunity to explore the National Parks of England and Wales through backpacking, climbing, and walking trips.
Although I eventually decided that university wasn’t the right path for me, I went on to join the police force, where I served for 28 years. During that time, I spent one weekend each month in the hills, continuing to pursue my love of the outdoors.
While in the police, I became involved in supporting Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions, leading groups on multi-day journeys. To do this, I needed to become a qualified Mountain Leader, which required me to sharpen my navigation skills. I also trained as a First Aid Instructor during my time in the force.
Today, I apply the instructional techniques I developed in the police to teach navigation skills in a clear, practical, and engaging way.
The Present & beyond
After retiring from the police, I continued leading group walking trips until I moved to Crete in the 2010s.
Just before the country went into lockdown due to COVID, my wife and I returned to the UK. We soon decided that we no longer wanted to live in the South, so we relocated to Northallerton in North Yorkshire.
Northallerton turned out to be an ideal base—close to both the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales, and just a short drive along the A66 to the Lake District.
While out walking with groups, I noticed that many people, even those following routes from guidebooks, lacked confidence in their navigation skills. That insight sparked an idea, and from it, Map Skills – Moors & Dales was born.
RESCUE EMERGENCY CARE CERTIFICATE
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Having attended a 2-day intensive outdoor first aid course held at the Swaledale Mountain Rescue Centre in Catterick Garrison, to renewed my first aid certificate. I can highly recommend this course to any outdoor instructor.
The instructor, Tim Cairns MBE, is brilliant. The first day is classroom-based, where you go over the changes in accepted treatments. [I’m not sure if this course would be suitable for anyone new to First Aid, as a good knowledge is required.]
The second day, the assessment is held outside, in our case, in a snowstorm in a wood. It added realism.
Again, I can highly recommend this course, great value for money and a great investment in your time.
Find out about the course details & book a course here: –
https://www.medicrec.com/About-MedicREC
