The Great Outdoors - UK (2021-08)

H I L L S K I L L S

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MAP-READING

FUNDAMENTALS

A TOPOGRAPHIC MAP, like those produced
by Ordnance Survey or Harvey,is your
passport to freedom in the hills. But all those
tightly packed lines and cryptic symbols can
appear daunting. The good news is that map
reading is not difficult to learn – and, once
mastered, it can takeyou anywhere.

Why a topo map is essential
In our everyday lives, we navigate towns
and cities with general-purpose maps that
often portray the spaces in between as
green emptiness. On the hill, Google Maps
is useless. “Atopo map gives you a good
overview of the whole area, making it easier
to plan your day,”Helen says. “Detail is key.
A topo map will show the relief of the ground,
giving you height and shape information, and
a much better overviewof where the ridges
and valleys are.”
A topo map gives you all the information
necessary to both plan and navigate a route
in the hills:

• Contours. Lines connecting points of the
  same elevation above sea level. Once you
  learn how to interpret them, contours can
  help you to visualise terrain in 3D.


• Features. Roads, paths, rights of way,
  streams, walls, cliffs, scree slopes, woods,
  lakes and more.
  “I would definitely recommend going on
  a navigation course,”Helen says. “Reading a
  map is quite an art, and being able to relate
  what you see to the ground is critical. Tuition
  will make a massive difference.”

How to choose a map
Ordnance Survey (OS) publishes a range
of UK mapping; the ones to look for are
Explorer 1:25,000 maps and Landranger
1:50,000 maps. Explorer maps are twice
as detailed and show half the area – great
for complexregions. Landranger maps lack
some features such as field boundaries and

walls, but give a broader view. This can be

better for vast, open landscapes such as the

Cairngorms. Each sheet covers a specific

area; makesure you pick up the right sheet

for your walk.

In many areas, Harvey offers alternative

maps made specifically for walkers, with

less extraneous information than Ordnance

Survey, and added helpful features like

colour-shaded ground and clearer contours.

“I likeHarvey maps because they are a little

Confused by contours? Backpacker Alex Roddie

and Plas yBrenin seniorinstructorHelen Teasdale

help us navigate the basics of map reading

more pictorial and the contours are often

higher-contrast,”Helen tells us. “Harvey’s

1:40,000 British Mountain Maps are really

good, giving you a slightly bigger area than

1:25,000 and removing superfluous details.

The Lakes 1:40,000 sheet includes all of the

main hills; you’d need four Explorer sheets to

cover the same area.”

A map also needs to be weatherproof!

Some are printed on waterproof paper; but

if yours isn’t,invest in a clear plastic map case.

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Slope (A, J)Contours in

parallel; the closer the

contours are together,

the steeper the slope.

Summit (B)Concentric

contours with higher

elevations towards

the middle lead to a

point, often with a

marked elevation.

Ridge (D, G)

Represented by U-

or V-shaped contour

lines, with lower

elevations at the

closed end.

Valley (E, I)Can look

similar to a ridge, but

with higher elevations at

the closed end and often

a stream in the bottom.

Col (C, F)A notch or

saddle marked by an

hourglass-shaped

constriction in a

ridge’s contours.

Cliff (H)Very steep,

bunched-up contours

with rock features

marked.Best avoided!

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66 The Great OutdoorsAugust 2021