Map & Compass

Getting to know Map and Compass

Much of our gentle countryside can be navigated using just an Ordnance Survey map and a bit of common sense, though if you're going to venture into more rugged areas such as Dartmoor, Brecon or the Scottish Highlands then compass skills are a very real necessity and I recommend you acquire them before venturing into such off-the-beaten-track places.

However, let me stress one thing - except for walking a bearing (explained later!) a compass is almost useless if you cannot read a map. Even if you are fortunate enough to possess a global positioning device, such as a Magellan, it will be virtually useless if you cannot interpret the information it provides for you and translate it onto the map in your hand. So we will begin with the most basic items and work our way up to the point where you should feel reasonably confident in plotting and following your own routes across country.

The chapter headings below progress along in what is hopefully a logical manner but I do urge you to practice the skills in the field (or the local park!) until you feel you have mastered the basics before going further. Also, this is only intended to provide the basics of these skills - further reading can be found in any library, particularly useful are those published by such bodies as The Ramblers' Association and Outward Bound. Anyway, here goes......

1. Reading and understanding a contour map.

2. Grid references - how they work and how to read them.

3. How to choose and use a compass.

Using map and compass together.

I've received quite a few emails over the length of time this site has been running (thanks for the compliments and the criticism!) and quite a few have mentioned those six-figured grid references given at the start of the walks which refer to their starting point. What are these arcane numbers? They're not on the motoring maps or the guide books, so why use them?

Well, these references enable you to pinpoint a map location down to an area a hundred metres square on any Ordnance Survey map, which in some cases has been found to be jolly useful.....especially if you're lost!

With this in mind, I decided to write up this basic primer on map reading which should help you to form a mental picture in your mind of what the surrounding country really looks like. This will enable you to follow a map with much greater ease and confidence and has the added benefit that, even on a guide-book planned walk, your enjoyment should be enhanced by your ability to recognise and interpret the terrain that you will pass through.