Hi Christy, welcome to the Challenge!

Following on from Ian's comment about phone batteries, here is a salutary tale from Arrocher MRT on 4th January 2014.

“The team was alerted at 14.45 to attend to two walkers on Ben Vorlich, by Loch Lomond. Uninjured, the walkers had become disoriented in winter conditions near the summit of the mountain. As they were navigating solely using a mobile phone GPS unit, they were unable to find their way off when the battery died. The team deployed several parties onto the hill in increasing darkness and were joined by Police Scotland MRT. The missing pair had taken shelter in survival bags and were located high on the mountain. They were then slowly assisted down by Arrochar and Police MR personnel. Manhours expended:114"
Link

Very Important Point Emma.
Always have maps and a compass.

I have used a gps twice on the last 2 crossings.
And that was just to get a bearing to check on the map.
I have never apart from on a bike, used one to navigate.

I know a man who Andy walks with a lot who got lost on Cross Fell using a GPS :) . Good map and compass skills, have the bearing off summits to get down safe written down can will all help - a GPS is then a top aid to help navigate, but you wont be crying when it breaks lost in the mist. I also use Viewranger on my phone and rate it but it's a aid not my main way to navigate.

Thank you all for your tips and warnings. Rest assured my husband and I will be carrying map and compass and know how to use them. However I do realize that Scotland features many conditions that I am very unfamiliar with. Funny…I am so used to worrying about hauling water from one source to another and filtering from safe water sources, altitude sickness, animal protection for food, snow on high passes, mosquitoes, and long distances between food supplies. I am now beginning an appreciation for relentless rains, white out conditions, peat bogs, peat hags, and Ordinance Survey maps.

The route sheet due requires elevation statistics for every day, so hence the quest for mapping software. Last night I used OS GetaMap (I have used several mapping programs now). It has the option to have an aerial view like Google Earth. This made the planning fun, especially viewing the aerial photos of munros we would like to climb.

Thanks again for this very helpful community. I am sure I will have more questions.

Christy

Re: Where's the Path

I use http://wtp2.appspot.com/wheresthepath_old.htm

I think this is the older version of "Where's the Path". I found that the newer version is not personally as good.

Just for info, although you may have found out for yourself.

If you use the bar at the bottom and click on the route node icon (left hand side)you can click on points on your route. Hover over the last round node on the route, click; once it becomes a cross. This gives total distance, ascent and descent.

The height gained was higher than when I calculated it manually from the OS paper map but seems accurate enough to satisfy the vetters.

Your other mapping software probably has similar facilities.

Apologies if you already know all this.

Hi Christy,

Just to add another option, have a look at Grough Route.

It's pretty good. It keeps track of distance and elevation while you plot your route, it can import/export as GPX, and print Ordnance Survey mapping with route plotted on top. Not free, but not expensive and you can buy it by the month. There is a free trial also.

I used it in conjunction with Where's the Path for both my Challenges, found both of them very handy.

Have a great Challenge!

Mike

Hi Christy,

For knowing which OS map sheet number(s) a given day's route lies on, I use this map of Landranger sheets which shows the boundaries between them.

Enjoy the planning!

Jaya John

Grough route have just more than doubled the price for a monthly subscription. Maybe it is time to look at some of the other options.

Colin.

Well, there will be little need to worry about finding water and filtering. Especially in the West.
Hopefully see you peeps on route.
And if not.
Have a great TGOC