Hi,
I'm doing the Pennine Way in March (south to north) staying in hostels etc - it's coming up soon. Are the Harvey strip maps the best ones? And is anyone else going to be out on the route too?
Cheers
Alison
The Harvey maps are good, if you have no need to leave the route. OS 1:50000 are adequate for a well-waymarked trail like PW, and they give you info on the country around the trail, which is really helpful if for any reason you want to take a detour.
For instance, if you're struggling when you go northbound from Tan Hill, the Harvey map doesn't show you the oft-used unofficial bypass to upper Frumming Beck along the road and the farm track. On the other hand, if you've got a tongue in your head you can ask for advice at the Inn.
Similarly, the Harvey map won't give you info about which eastbound escape route is best if you're in difficulties further north. In that instance, a small scale map of northern England wouldn't be a bad thing to have tucked away in a waterproof bag.
Long ago, when the PW wasn't waymarked and 1:25000 maps were a rarity, everyone used 1:63360 (1 inch:1mile) which didn't have field boundaries and were often quite a few years out of date. When we looked across Redesdale in 1963 we were amazed to see a valley filled with mature conifers (our maps were pre Second World War) but we pushed on with the help of our compass ( a device which to this day remains reliable after every battery has run flat).
I plan to follow in your footsteps a month later, and I hope you have a great time.