Johnnywr wrote:
Callum, I`m a big cartography kind of guy, basically, I love maps, all kinds of maps. The thing about Ordnance Survey maps, is that it`s as much about the scale of the maps you are using for a day`s walk in the hills (as you unfortunately experienced), as much as buying the most recent version for the areas in question.
I`m not sure of the scale the map you used for that walk in the hills, I`m thinking it may have been 1:50 000 scale (the Landranger series)? If it was, then small tracks and paths can be notoriously vague and unreliable.
The Explorer series of maps ( at 1:25 000) are much more reliable and detailed, but cover a smaller area. Highly recommended, even if they are rather pricey.
I have an ipad 2 and one of my fondest apps is an app simply called UK Maps. You tap on an area anywhere in the UK and have the option to download Ordnance Survey maps for that area at 1:25 000 or 1:10 000 scale. Awesome, especially if you like maps. I have the whole of Scotland downloaded at 1:25 000 scale and I don`t need wi-fi to use them, they are installed on my ipad to view at any time. The amount of detail on these maps is incredible, really useful if you are planning a walk in wild areas, so that you have more than one escape route if you run into trouble.
I think it was a 1:50 000 scale map, and I can see how a 1:25 000 would probably have been better, as it would show a closer view, a sort of zoomed in view. the 1:25 000 map would probably have helped, but I don't think we'd have reached the dam, because the path appeared to have completely collapsed at some points.
I'm not into maps as much. I remember map work in School being pretty hard sometimes. The only part I found difficult, were the 6-figure grid references and larger. We just didn't like each other :lol:. I was fine, with symbols, roads, etc, even 4-figure references. I do quite like to compare old and new maps of the same area sometimes. It can be very interesting to see how that particular area has changed.
That UK Maps app would be quite useful, especially in an emergency, because you don't have to unfold a map. I don't know if an iPad 2 has an HD screen, but I'd imagine that would be pretty useful as well. You'd be able to see fine detail better.
Saying that, yes, there are times even Ordnance Survey (probably more used to dealing with lush english countryside than wild Scottish highlands) get things a little wrong. Still, glad you managed to get home in one piece though. I can imagine how scary that would have been at the time.
It can be pretty scary to get lost in a valley in a place you don't know, but at least we got a day's walk, which was what we wanted to do. It wasn't exactly what we had planned :lol:, but we got walking anyway. I suppose though that you should always plan for the maps to be very slighlty wrong. It is a lot of area for them to cover, and even if the particular map you have isn't wrong, it is always a good idea to prepare for slight mistakes in the map.
