How (and Why) to use a Paper Map

October 23, 2024

Old fashioned, out of touch and technically incompetent are some of the phrases I have heard about those who use paper maps. Nonsense. There are many, very, good reasons to use a paper map, both practical and pleasurable which increase the enjoyment of any walk. They just need to be used a little differently.

In the last 10 years I have started to use the excellent app from the Ordnance Survey whilst on a walk. The upgrade to ‘premium’ on the app (roughly £35 per year) provides 1.25,000 mapping software. This mirrors the O/S paper maps I have used since their introduction 25 years ago. I use the app because a phone is very convenient, the app is easy to use and of course its tracker (usually) tells you where you are.

Mallerstang Scar, looking at the view
Mallerstang Scar, looking at the view

Issues with Paper Maps

Many people on the hills and mountains of Britain do not use a paper map at all. They rely on their phone or GPS device…even their watch. Many of these folks will be carrying a paper map. However in a surprisingly large number of cases will have no (or very little) idea how to use it. The main reason for the lack of map reading knowledge is the dependence on the downloaded prescribed route which they are following. Nothing wrong in principle with a downloaded route, even the Where2walk website. In their mind however a downloaded route means there is no requirement for a paper map.

I do agree however that there are three very good reasons why paper maps are not convenient as a tool on the hill.

  • They are difficult to manage in bad weather, particularly the wind but also rain
  • There is no GPS positioning to tell you (usually) where you are.
  • They can be difficult to read. The detail on the O/S 1.25,000 maps can be small particularly with regard to contours. I would urge anyone struggling with declining eyesight to try the bespoke for walkers Harvey maps which are undoubtedly clearer
Near the Norber Erratics
Near the Norber Erratics

If you add these three reasons to our increasing familiarity with technology and mobile phones then there is a good, if not compelling argument, to ditch your paper maps.

Do Not be Hasty though!

5 Reasons to Use Paper Maps

Below are 5 reasons which I believe make the use of paper maps desirable , if not essential. All these reasons help any one venturing in to the outdoors get the most out of your walking.

1. Learning the Basic Skills

Learning the Skills
Learning the Skills

It is much easier to learn about maps and how to use them with a paper map. Sat in the warmth of your own gives time to study them, understand them, find out what they are showing you and becoming familiar with all the symbols, contours etc. Most mapping software carries the Ordnance Survey maps as a basic but to learn on line is just more difficult. This is particularly the case when studying contours, boundaries and features to look out for if you are lost.

Learn the basics indoors, practice them outdoors.

2. As an Emergency Back Up

When Technology Fails
When Technology Fails

Technology does fail. Phones lose charge (quickly when following a prescribed route), they get wet and damaged, there are places with no signal and the screen can be difficult to see at times. To have a back up paper map is essential. The Mountain Rescue teams say carrying and being able to use a map should be pre-requisite of any proper walk in the outdoors. They particularly emphasise the importance of being able to understand a map as well as carrying it!

I have held many Navigation Courses over the years and it still surprises me how little so called good navigators actually know about the intricacies of a map. Join a course and learn!

3. Better Planning of a Walk…more enjoyment

Discovering hidden valleys
Discovering hidden valleys

It is easy to plan a walk by spreading out a paper map in the comfort of your home. At home there is the time to look for the detail, alternatives depending on the weather, potential places you want to visit on the walk which may not be the obvious and any potential dangers. It is impossible to plan your own walk on a phone.

However you can download multiple prescribed routes on line and follow them religiously. But what is the fun in that! Its someone else’s walk done on their own terms. The route does not take in what you want to do and most importantly will be entirely predictable.

In my Navigation Courses I often quote the example of Malham Tarn. Every pre planned route will go round Malham Tarn because…that’s what you do. The reality is circling Malham Tarn is a rotten walk. Most of it is spent on a narrow road dodging fools in cars or motorbikes seemingly intent on running you down. There is also very limited views of the tarn itself most of the way. Much better is to climb Great Close Hill, enjoy the tranquility and superb views. Maybe even extend it to the limestone pavements to the North. However you will only find this out by planning your own walk (no prescribed route). That is best done using a paper map in the quiet of your home.

4. Use of Compasses and Direction Finding

Harvey Maps are clearer to read
Harvey Maps are clearer to read

Using a compass is very important if you are to spend time in the higher mountains. Cloud brings a complete loss of direction and brings confusion. The correct use of a compass will bring you back on track. Using a compass effectively is best done with the use of a paper map. Not only does it set you in the correct direction but the paper map will let you know in a much clearer way what terrain is ahead. The reason is simple, there is more of a paper map to look at! Incidentally on line compasses are particularly variable in accuracy (being polite). Spend a £1000 and they may be passable. Most only give a very rough direction, some none at all. Using a compass and phone together is also very difficult.

5. More Enjoyment and Interest on a Walk

Understanding the Views
Understanding the Views

There is nothing I enjoy more on a clear sunny day (!) than to sit down, spread my paper map out and study the landscape around me. Set/Orientate your map correctly and the landscape comes alive. I particularly like mountain spotting. Is that Bowfell or Pillar? That cannot be Harrison Stickle even though it looks like it. What is the name of that tarn past Fountains Fell etc: It’s endless enjoyment matching the paper map with the land around. It makes sense because a map is simply an aerial depiction of the land.

Maybe at this stage you will be keen to change the route you planned based on studying your map and seeing the land around.

Best Practice; Combine Technology and Paper

I mentioned earlier I use the O/S App. I use it when I am out on a walk for a quick and convenient check of where I am. I will even use it briefly for a first look at a new area. However I will then buy the paper map knowing I am going to get so much more out of it. I most certainly will not use anybody else’s routes and this goes for traditional guide books as well as downloaded routes. A paper map offers you much more scope to plan a route suitable for you and your party. Most people I find who do not plan their own route are not confident of their own navigation skills.

We live in a world where freedoms are gradually been taken away, individual choice restricted. With navigation and walking in the outdoors we are usually asked to always follow the same predictable (and over busy) paths which everyone else does. Paper maps help to avoid this and gives you back control of your walks.

Keep your maps, keep your app and use them together, You will simply enjoy it more.

Jonathan

1 Comment
  • chris Johnson says:

    It’s the same with sat nav in the car. I’ve enjoyed many interesting side trips and diversions by looking at a map of my route and seeing what lies just off it. Sometimes I’ve even changed the route to take in interesting places.

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