Review: What Map should you Buy?

Which Map to Choose?

As a Mountaineering Instructor, Climber and Mountain Rescue Volunteer I use and go through a lot of maps. Apart from losing at least one a year, I probably wear out two maps of Snowdonia a year. For my work I used the reliable and robust Ordnance Survey OL17 which has been pre laminated with the Active Map cover. For me this 1:25000 scale map is the work horse, and it gets folded, refolded, bent, bashed, stuffed, screwed and any number of equally unfriendly acts, and after about 6 months it usually gives up the ghost and starts leaking like a sieve, it is however in the main still usable, save for a few ‘dead spots’ that I often find myself navigating around or through in some Bermuda triangle!

With a mission to get as many ‘Quality Moutnains Days’ in before my winter Moutnain Leader assessment, I headed up to Scotland with a new quiver of maps; the BMC map of the Cairngorms and Glencoe & Ben Nevis, The Harvey’s Super Walker Maps of Torridon and An Tellach, and after I promptly lost my Cairngorm map I replaced it with a trusty 1:50000 scale OS Landranger for the area.

As such There are four maps in the running the 1:25000 OS, the 1:50000 OS, the BMC 1:40000 and The Harveys 1:25000 maps.

In terms of use, I have to say I prefer a large scale than 1:50000, although I have got used to the scale using it for a few days to navigate in White out conditions on Cairngorm Platueax. You also get twice as much map for your money than a 1:25000 map, although OS have started producing double sided maps, although if you want to navigate from one side to the other then you need to be able to perform something between orgarme and wrestling on the side of the hill, if the wind is any but a gentle breeze.

1:50000 OS Landranger maps. Slightly harder to interpret the ground on.

The 1:50000 in my mind lacks much else other than contour details, so that sheep fold or fence your stood next to simply don’t appear. Which if you are totally lost, might just help you find yourself. Also measuring either distance or a bearing of them requires extra care, as even the smallest error is magnify by the smaller scale.

If you like the big area covered and the smaller scale then the BMC series of maps is a halfway house between the 1:25 and 1:50 thousand maps. Although until recently the 1:40000 scale was a bugger to use, as silva compasses simply didn’t have the roma scale for this size map, instead they came with the out dated inch to a mile scale. This has been solved now which means using the BMC maps is easier. They also have the wall boundaries mark on just like you would on a 1:25000 scale map, but even more helpful is the contours also fall into colour coded heights, meaning that the overall shape of the mountain is much easier to see.

On these BMC maps the contours take a little bit of getting used to, and whilst it looks like a normal paper map, it is actually printed on plastic, which is very tuff and durable, sadly the same can’t be said about the printing. After just a few days the map that is printed on the plastic started to rub off on obvious wear points, and more alarming, was when put in a pocket with my compass, several small sections were scratched off. What some centre and instructors have done is laminate the waterproof map, in order to increase their longevity.

Despite this the map is very good to use, and I often find it helpful when I teach navigation, the BMC has also put the opposite side to good use, with a smaller scale geologic map of the area, often some environmental and first aid tips, and on the back of Ben Nevis a 1:15000 scale of the summit with the essential bearings to get off the mountain alive! On some there are even topos of some of the more famous climbing routes!

BMC Map - with colour coded heights brings out the shape of the mountains

The last maps I tested were the 1:25000 Harveys Walkers Map, and having used the BMC map which is produced in conjunction with Harvey’s I was expecting the same problems with the printing, and sure enough, after one day, yes one day in my pocket, part of the map started to rub off! Other than that they worked just as well as the OS map of the equivalent size.

A Harvey's Walker Map
BMC Map - Map damaged by one day in my pocket with a compass!
BMC Map - A few days use and the seams are loosing detail.
Harveys Map - Ink smudge after one day usinf this map!
BMC Map - Loads of info, and some extra maps often accompany the BMC maps on the reverse side

Summary

OS 1:50000 with Active Map Cover

A good map, but with less detail than other maps.

Robustness: *****

Ease of Navigation: ***

Cost: £13.95

Overall: ****

OS 1:25000 with Active Map Cover

A great map, lots of detail, including the areas that we have a ‘right to roam’ on.

Robustness *****

Ease of Navigation: *****

Cost: £13.95

Overall: ***** (Authors Choice)

The BMC British Mountain Map 1:40000

Another really good map with lots of detail, however the printing is an issue

Robustness ***

Ease of Navigation: *****

Cost: £ 12.95

Overall: ***

Harveys Superwalker 1:25000

A good map with as much detail as the OS equivalent, and in some places even more obvious detail of the ground underfoot. Again the printing is an issue.

Robustness ***

Ease of Navigation: *****

Cost: £10.95

Overall: ***

The Schiehallion Experiment

Having been up in Scotland, I looked out across at Schiehallion, an almost picture perfect mountain cone. It reminded me of the classic experiment conducted to achieve two aims. One prove Sir Issac Newtons Theory of Gravitation, and at the same time calculate the mass of the earth.

I find this whole concept rather interesting, and ever since I have got back I have been keen to google the experiment and find out just how the experiment worked, and why it resulted in another innovation for maps the humble contour line.

The reason that Scheihallion was chosen in the first place was because of not only its shape as an almost prefect cone, but its isolation from surround hills. These were both critical to the success of the experiment, as according to Issac Newton’s theory’s Gravity was based on a relationship between the mass of two objects and the inverse square of there distance. In this experiment these were the centre of the earth versus the centre of the mountain.

The perfect cone shape made it possible to calculate the mass of the mountain, and have the measuring device close to its centre of gravity. The mountains isolation would reduce the effects of gravity of the surrounding mountains.

Issac Newton and suggested that the effects would be measurable only by a couple of minutes of  one degree. So had decided not to do the experiment, instead in fell to a team that most famous included Nevil Maskelyne and Astronomer Royal and Charles Hutton who helped us work out longitude by the Lunar Distances, and Charles Hutton a renowned mathematician.

How they measured the effect was amazing, as I had imagines a pendulum with a degree mark on, however this would be to true. In order to measure the minute distance, it would be better to have a much longer pendulum to measure the relative distance between one pendulum on one side of the mountain, compared to one place on the other side. To achieve this they look to the stars, and leasure the relative distance between sighting staken precisely up the plumbline holding the pendulum.

But for the experiment to work, the team had to find the estimated mass  of the mountain. To do this it was expected that the team would use survey data to find equal slices of vertical prisms. After an extensive survey with thousands of points measured, Charle Hutton, though that his job would be easier if he interpolated lines of equal height to make these vertical prism slices. In doing so he helped bring brought the contour line to landmaps.

The experiment was extremely successful, and managed to calculate the density of the earth to within 20%, prove Sir Issac Newton right on his theory but wrong on think the effects of a mountain would be too small to measure. In 2007 the experiment was repeated with more accurate surveys going out to a 120 kilometre radius and of course the humble computer to crunch an awful lot of data. This showed that the basis of the experiment was extremely accurate, and this new repeat of the experiment got to with a hairs breadth of the Modern accepted figure.

One Big Acoustic Walk

I have finished my weekends work for Plas Y Brenin. Working on their one big acoustic walk, after att long evening of homemade music many of the group were keen for an easy day.

So i lead a small group round Cwm Idwal, trying to throw as many environmental tip bits in. The day was extremely easy after weeks of Scottish Winter Walking for me. But it raised an inportant point for me, in that people who book onto course are also on holiday, so might not want or need beasting over mountains.

Anyway a quiet few days for me, although I do move into my new home in Cwm Y Glo tomorrow. Which is att massive relief after 6 months of living out of a bag!

Until then I have a evening climbing wall session with the two usual suspect. So I might have to open my can of man up if i want to keep up! I think i might need two cans on tuesday if the weather is good and caff comes back over!

Cnicht

Well it was my first proper day of work on teh Hills rather than indoor route setting since I finish work in Patagonia in Decmeber. It was great to be out on the hills of Wales again, covering familiar ground. I went out with the group who wanted a moderate day out on the hills, and we manage to have a lovely relaxing day walking up the hill. When we returned to Plas Y Brenin the surreal experience of having Hero a local harpist playing in the bar was unique.

The group are set to head out again tomorrow after an evening of Acoustic Music provided by them and a few other musician that have been lined up to provide an evenings entertainment. Right now I am babysitting for llion and el, so a quiet night for me, at least I hope.

Vector and a Void!

Caff follow the Ochre Slab on Vector

I ran into James McHaffie when I got back from Scotland a few days ago. He is also on the Winter ML bus at the moment, although he has his assessment the week after me. When I ran into him he had the Friday off, so wanted to go climbing, being at a loose end I said yes. I knew even as that word of agreement left my mouth, that it was going to be a hard day, even before we decided on a venue.

So Friday arrived and the weather looked good for half a day, so we decided on a quick Tremadog hit. Vector into Void was what Caff suggested. Now Void is hard even on a dry day, and Vector is relatively straight forward on a Dry day. So I opted to take the first big link up pitch to the Void belay. Caff had packed the rack and I had robbed Llions ropes.

So when I go to rack up, I see that caff has 8 quickdraws and about 8 cams, and plenty of wires. Looking up at the very long and winding pitch I am about to do in damp to wet conditions, I immediately feel under equipped. I can get 8 runner in teh first we 40ft ptich! So I headed up being as economical with teh runners as I could, I got to the start of the Orche Slab, and had a moment trying to get onto the slab on damp holds, a move or two up the slab and the crack was running wet, so I had to pull on the sorry excuse for a peg, before making it rather shakerly to the top of the groove. Where I had no more quickdraws ot get the next 40ft to teh Void Belay.

My answer was to make a belay where I was and bring caff up, and get him to lead through and bring me up to the Void Cave. At the Cave he quickly shot up the pod and the crack above, as caff would. I then here the words safe, and no sooner had caff said on belay climb when ready, did the rain start! Now be under no illusion, I am not anywhere near climbing fit at the moment, and Void would be be on a very good day, and now the route is getting wet!

Caff had to endure a lot of me shout “TAKE!!!!” at the top of my voice every few seconds. As I struggled my way up. It was such hard work even pulling on the limited gear he place! I will now ache for days! Anyway thanks for the day out, although it was a baptism of fire for my Trad climbing.

Caff on the top of the Ochre Slab on Vector - Tremadog
Caff disappears up Void - tremadog

Winter Mountaineering: Top Ten Must Do Routes in UK

I don’t know what one word I word use to describe a Scottish Winter, it embodies so much. In the last month and a half I have come to know both the agony and ectascy, for it is a double edge sword, where on the one hand you take massive reinforce chunks of concrete suffering, on the other there is immense satisfaction of the summit, the beating of the elements or occasionally the hallowed day of ‘Alpine Conditions’.

What I am sure of is that the days, although short in duration compared to the seemingly endless nights, are long. The hills are the biggest you’ll find in the UK, and on the west coast you start depressingly close to sea level, and ride the drizzle train up to where winter starts, and no matter how much you spend on goretex there are days when you’ll be soaked to your pants, cold and unable to stop for fear of dying. It is an ugly monster that is there to get you at every turn.

At best it is a snow ridge to heaven, a gully to the stars and an inversion to die for. There is something about Scotland in the winter though, something that you’ll never feel anywhere else, not in the lakes or wales, that’s for sure, and that’s the total isolation. In over a month of walking in the mountains of Scotland this winter I have bumped into only a handful of people.

It is perhaps our last real wilderness, although the mountains I have choosen to climb aren’t even remote compared to Knoydart, which is perhaps the only true wilderness left in the UK. Unspoilt by roads, villages or other development, I looked at the map of the area, and in the whole OS sheet, I saw one road just clip the corner of it!

What this means is that to survive the Scottish winter you’ll need  every skill you have learnt in walking and scrambling in summer and a truck load more. Your navigation needs to be better than good. You need to be able to use and ice axe and crampons, and you need to be able to assess the risk of avalanches, and above all know when enough is enough and turn back from the summit, even if it is just a stones throw away.

Get it all right and the days will be the most rewarding wlking experience you’ll ever have, get it wrong and it becomes a nightmare of survival. That if you lucky you’ll be able to tell over a pint in the pub. For be under no illusion, heading out in the Scottish Mountains during Winter is a dangerous game. Every year people die in the Mountains, the tops are a place that on occassions people just aren’t meant to be.

“Climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are naught without prudence, and that a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a lifetime. Do nothing in haste, look well to each step, and from the beginning think what may be the end.” – Ed Whymper

The view I had had for a couple of hour today! and 3 and 4 and 5 and.....

My Top 10 Winter Mountaineering Experiences?

This is a list of all the classic days out you can have in the UK, not just Scotland. I have included Wales, as it has some very good routes comparable to some of Scotlands finest. I have also had the opportunity to do them many times and often at least once in those stellar alpine conditions. These are in the order by which I remember them rather than 1 being the best, see it more as the ten must do winter mountaineering routes, also understand that I used the term mountaineering as some routes on this lst are grade II winter climbs, but all can be tackled with one axe, crampons, a rope and a couple of sling if you have the neccessary skills.

  1. East Ridge of Carn Mor Dearg and the CMD Arete up Ben Nevis and down No. 4 gully.
  2. Ledge Route – Ben Nevis
  3. A day out Soloing the Grade 1 gully of Corrie an T-sneacda
  4. East Ridge of Beinn A’Chorrain
  5. Traverse of Ben Alligin
  6. Traverse of Lliathach
  7. Traverse of Annoach Eaggach
  8. Traverse of Crib Coch
  9. Parsley Fern and Central Trinity on Snowdon
  10. Forcan Ridge on The Saddle – Glen Sheil

A few snaps from Scotland

I have just driven back down teh M6 again, on tht long commute home from Scotland, I did break it up by calling in for a nights B&B at PYB Allt Shellach. It is still a loooooonnnnggggg Wwaaaaaayyyyyy! Not sure if I can face it too many more times this winter. I am hoping that it will only be one more trip up there for my assessment, and then I can jog on from Scotland and concerntrate on cragging.

Anyway when I was up in Scotland I could get Wifi in the great North West, so I have a couple of pictures unfortunately I forgot the camera on a couple of occassions, and the weather was aweful on others, so the imagery is slightly limited!

A por stitch up of Am Tellach ridge and area.
Seriously Steep and complex ground on Am Tellach
Slioch, looks a lot differetn from this side than the side that I walked up!

The Forcan Ridge

Heln follows me up The Forcan Ridge. Very atmosperic and totally amazing route

Well, Another day another mountain. Today I headed up teh Forcan Ridge on The Saddle in Glen Sheil. Again this is a route that I have been recommended by many people but just needed to get round to doing it. So today I got up early and headed out to Glensheil, saying goodbye to Torridon, I met a lass called Helen at the site of the Battle of Glen Shiel, Helen like myself is doing the time for her winter ML.

After a late start for me, it was 8.30 when we got on the hill, and we motored up to teh base of the ridge, which was shrouded in mist, so we didn’t actually see it, although it did clear from time to time to show us what we were climbing. I took the lead and short rope Helen up, although we were essentially moving together on easy stuff, with a few short pitches on the hard stuff. A really great day out, with and interesting descent. In fact I’ll go as far to say it is one of my favourite mountaineering days out in Scotland, and I think there is a blog post in creating my top days out from this winter at some point.

My plan was to stay in the Kintail Lodge bunkhouse, unfortunately it is close monday and tuesday usually, although I hope they don’t paint there kitchen every week! So at 15.30 I was faced with a dileema, of where to go and what to do. I was kind of heading south so I opted for 5pm tea and cakes at PYB Allt Shellach. I managed to get there in time, and have booked in for a night here. So back into the lap of luxury.

A day round Glencoe tomorrow, and I’ll probably head back down to Wales, as my Winter ML fund is pretty much dry. Although I have the Plas Y Brenin Big Acoustic Weekend to work, so better brush up on my penny whistling.

Beinn Alligin Traverse

Another great day out in the mountain of torridon. Having in the past done Beinn Eighe and Lliathach. I finished the big three must do hill/mountain scramble days out by a traverse of Beinn Alligin.

The weather forecast winds increasing throughout the day, so i was on the hill by 8, and att the first section of ridge scrambling by ten. Not wanting to get caught out and being alone I duck out of the ‘horns’ section. Taking a chicken run that contours the hill.

This seemed to pay divends as after the main summit about 2/3 along the ridge the wind did start to pick up, bringing with it flurries of snow. By the time i got to the last top it was 30mph gusting 40. Still managable on the easier terrain. But i am not sure i would want to be on the horns during it!

Anyway back in the pub, and more importantly the local garage that is open every other tuesday in the winter was somehow open. Not a moment too soon as i drove back from torridon of fumes.

Backing off Am Tellach

I head even further north today with an hour drive to the base of An Tellach. Walking straight out of the sea att dundonnel up onto the hills. It seemed to take hours to get near the mountain. When i saw the peak for the first time i got very excited.

However it was short lived and as the weather picked up so i head up the first peak. What a spectacular ridge up as well. The wind and snow was still on the ridge at the top so I decided to turn back rather than commit. Att shame but those are the cards i was dealt.

Looking at the map i probably need at partner or two in crime att the very least to have another car parked further up the road.

Back in the bar for a pint of Blaven!