Navigating and Mapreading Tips

Some Navigating and Mapreading Tips That I've picked up over the years.

Naismith's Rule - A rule-of-thumb way of calculating how long it will take you to complete your walk, factoring in the extra time it takes to climb uphill.

'Allow one hour per three miles, plus one hour per 2000ft of ascent.'

Using this method no account is taken of coming downhill,  which sometimes can take even longer than going up. When using OS maps I add a minute per 10m contour line crossed on the map, irrespective of whether I'm climbing or descending.

Always read the environment and the landscape, as well as your map.

Things to look out for:

Satellite dishes always point towards the south-east; solar panels also generally point in a southerly direction, but these are not as reliable as a guide due to them having to be attached to fixed roofs...I suspect panels in solar farms are more accurately aligned though.

Moss usually grows on the northern side of a tree's bark, the side that gets the most shade. There are excceptions to this rule; the important phrase here is 'gets the most shade' and this might be caused by the tree's position, near to a rockface for example, or in the shade of a hill...so always check several trees, ideally those that are out in the open, before making your decision as to what direction to go.

In an exposed location trees are likely to be bent forward, leaning towards the north-east, the opposite direction to the prevailing winds...which usually come from the south west in England.

If you're lost and need to quickly get down to safety from the mountainside, fell, or moor, finding a watercourse and following it down is usually the best option. You might not end up where you want to be...but you should be safe. If you can decide which way the watercourse is flowing throw in a twig, or piece of straw, and see which direction it floats.

Footpaths, bridleways, and byways are all marked separately on OS maps, and that distinction also applies when you reach a sign along your route. Remember, there are no stiles on bridleways, and any gate needs to be able to be opened by someone on horseback.

On maps where field boundaries or shown I find these to be a very useful aid to navigation.

Overhead powerlines and pylons are also depicted and these are very useful aids to navigation as well.

I'm pretty good at looking at contour lines on a map and envisioning the shape of the hills and valleys in the landscape, but I know that not everyone is and so for many people these being on maps is actually a hindrance.