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Re: Digital Route Planning - for those that are/want to be more tech savvy

Phil Lambert
Tracks etc are one thing, but once venturing off piste a careful study of the map will often reveal much about the terrain, and help you to gauge whether you will bound along at 3mph, or flounder hopelessly at less than 1mph...


You rotter, Sir! You beast!

One mile per hour??? One kilometre an hour, if you're lucky, I seem to recall from last year. Some poor unsuspecting sap of a first-timer might well read your post and be horribly misled...

And speaking of being misled, they should be aware that navigating their way across miles and miles of unrelenting bog in the cloud can lead to navigational misplacement...

Re: Digital Route Planning - for those that are/want to be more tech savvy

Phil,

I've always used paper maps for actual walking. Coming from my Scouting days I'm fairly good with a paper map and compass. GPS and digital tools are great, but you should never rely more on a device than on whats between your ears.

Once I have my route, based primarily off of OS Maps' digital versions of the Landranger maps, I'll either buy the necessary maps or print out my own and waterproof them. MAYBE I'll bring a GPS, but it would be more a novelty than an actual keep me on the track tool. I don't really trust them to tell me where I am, let along where I should be going...

Nope, for me it will be a map, compass, and some good old fashion planning.

Re: Digital Route Planning - for those that are/want to be more tech savvy

good old fashioned planning
Never thought otherwise, Shawn!

You rotter, Sir! You beast!
Ah, well, yes, Al. Some bogs are indeed boggier than others, and I well recall that dreadful 1kph day.

navigational misplacement
US? Surely not.

Re: Digital Route Planning - for those that are/want to be more tech savvy

Hi Shawn


I read Phil's post to you as being helpful. He was simply saying that there's absolutely no need to go bouncing between Google Maps and O.S online mapping and all round Will's Mother's at all. Using Propriety Mapping Software (like Memory Map, Anquet Maps, RouteBuddy et al) you need only to import the waymark points for all the information like Corbetts, Bothies etc into your programme and plan your route using that programme with all those points liberally sprinkled about your plotted route. There's no need for Google Maps at all (which are next to useless in the Highlands).

In fact, if you use RouteBuddy you can click between Aerial View, OS mapping and Google Earth to your heart's content, all from within your software package. Should you so desire you can whack it onto your smartphone or iPad or whatever as well.

I can assure you that Monsieur Lambert would not dream of staring into an electronic device for navigation on the Challenge. He's an Old Stickler for Her Majesty's Ordnance Survey Paper Maps and a magnetised needle floating in a bath of oil; In fact he bemoans the passing of the one inch cloth-backed series.

I do have to admit that last year, somewhere amongst the gloom inside a very dense cloud, with the rain pelting at us relentlessly and with very soggy shreddies, we did break out, from the bottom of a rucsack, a SatMuppet device. It was absolutely no use at all! It told us we were on the wrong hill, for goodness sake!



Edited to see that Phil has also replied. Obviously bashing it out on his trusty Remington as I was struggling with my Olivetti.

Re: Digital Route Planning - for those that are/want to be more tech savvy

OS mapping online on one tab - with 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 up to date.

https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/osmaps/#54.443710447431876,-1.4863022659666185

Where's the Path 2nd tab - handy at times.

http://wtp2.appspot.com/wheresthepath.htm

Munro map 3rd tab - obvious.

http://www.munromap.co.uk/


All I use.

Take printout of maps with lots of coverage for the Challenge and maps on a Smartphone as well.

Obtaining OS Maps in the US

I use Dash4It's website to obtain my paper maps here in the US, they will ship any amount of maps for the set price of 4.95 - a very good value for international shipping. They also arrive within days, again amazing service. Even though I use a free version of Anquet for my actual ascent/descent/mileage, I use my paper maps along with road maps spread out all over the table and sometimes the floor to plan my basic route - and that's after I have selected my start and finish points. With a lifelong affair with maps, I find the route planning to be one of the most interesting parts of the challenge.

This will only be my 7th challenge so I am still in the enviable position of experiencing new areas (to me!) of Scotland, yet unexplored.

Haste Ye Back!

Re: Digital Route Planning - for those that are/want to be more tech savvy

Just a small addendum to this topic, but I've just downloaded the OS 2016 1:25000 mapping for the whole of GB from memory map for £99.99.

They are doing the 1:50000 whole of GB for £50.

Not bad value. Have a look at the offers HERE

Re: Digital Route Planning - for those that are/want to be more tech savvy

Snap.

Re: Digital Route Planning - for those that are/want to be more tech savvy

Thanks for that tip, Phil, I have thinking up upgrading for a while.

Can you still upgrade an old map edition to the new one for less than buying it new? I am sure you used to be able to do that, but I can't find on the website.

Re: Digital Route Planning - for those that are/want to be more tech savvy

Can you still upgrade an old map edition to the new one for less than buying it new? I am sure you used to be able to do that, but I can't find on the website.
You drive a hard bargain, Emma. I wish I'd had you on my buying team! In 2012 I paid £59.40 for the GB 1:50000 after a 40% "upgrade" discount, so I think this offer is pretty fair. I suspect that it shows that margins on digital mapping are not what they used to be, and volume & market share are the name of the game now.

Re: Digital Route Planning - for those that are/want to be more tech savvy

You drive a hard bargain, Emma.

No messin' about, Phil!
Seriously though, that is a good deal, which I will almost certainly go for.

Thanks for the heads up.