By: Blonde Two
Up in the Lake District, Mountain Rescue experts (who are all volunteers) have had a record year for call-outs. They cite the lack of ability to use a map and compass and the reliance on mobile technology as one of the major problems. It’s tempting isn’t it. You don’t need to learn any navigation skills, you don’t need to go on a navigation course.There you are, in your lounge, planning a day out, and with your new, shiny, electronic map on your phone, you feel like adventure is at your fingertips. You don’t need to worry about getting lost, the GPS will tell you exactly where you are at all times.
Except that it might not! And here’s why:
- Mobile GPS technology can fail. There is no way that any of us would be able to navigate from the grey screen of an absent map.
- Mobile GPS technology relies on batteries. It also uses up an awful lot of battery, battery that is also powering your emergency link to civilisation (please don’t rely either on there being mobile signal).
- Mobile GPS technology does not like getting wet or being dropped off mountains. Neither do maps, but even left with just a compass, you could get yourself out of trouble if you had been studying your map.
- Mobile GPS technology does not always give you the whole picture. With a map, you can do more alignment and see a wider area in a usable scale (one that gives you the detail you need), always good if you are trying to work out where you are.
Luckily for all of us it isn’t difficult these days to learn to navigate. There are numerous courses and training sessions available across the country. If you want to be sure that the person training you is adequately qualified, ask them; the BMC provide a handy list of qualifications here https://www.thebmc.co.uk/qualifications-explained_0 You are looking for LLA (Lowland Leader Award), HML (Hill and Moorland Leader Award – formerly WGL), ML (Mountain Leader Award), WML (Winter Mountain Leader Award) or IML (International Mountain Leader Award).
But what do I do if I want to learn to navigate tomorrow? I hear you ask.
Well the answer to that is easy, we have spaces left on this summer’s Dartmoor navigation courses. Just get in touch as below if you want to join us:
In defence of tech.
I started walking in the hills around 1954 and have been doing so ever-since, most of that time without any tech other than map and compass, so I know what I am doing. I do recall doing “O” Level Geography at school where we were taught how to use and appreciate most of the attributes of OS 1:50. Now I am happy to use tech to make life easier, but I am under no illusion about the possibility of its failure.
I have Memory Map 1:25 and 1:50 for the whole of the country on my iPhone and on my iPad Mini with GPS positioning. The former I use to navigate, and the latter is in my rucksack as a backup and to write up my daily blog.
Taking your points in order:
Batteries on my iPhone will last at least two days the way I use it. I only refer to the mapping to find out where I am exactly. It is not tracking my route. I also have a fully charged backup battery.
I have “Overboard” waterproof cases for both iPhone and iPad. I always carry a compass. There is also an electronic compass on both units. I also have a mini compass incorporated in my emergency whistle.
OK, I agree limited view of the larger terrain is a disadvantage, but with iPad that is largely overcome. I do occasionally carry a paper map as well. The OS Travel Maps at 1:250 are contoured and good enough for general orientation over a large area.
A big advantage for my ageing eyesight is being able to enlarge the map to see detail. The print, and detail especially on 1:25 is often very small and difficult to read – that magnification is a huge bonus for me, and of course you are still looking at kilometre squares so estimating distance in not impaired.
GPX files can be easily downloaded from many different sources so you can superimpose your own plotted route, or a proprietary route onto the map. If you want to return to say a point on a path from which you have departed across wild terrain you can place a mark on the map at the exact point.
I could go on…
Nothing wrong with tech at all. I am after all, in another life an ICT teacher; but the benefit is in the combination of old and new, and map and compass knowledge should always be a priority.