Author Topic: How do people plan their walks?  (Read 3936 times)

GnP

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Re: How do people plan their walks?
« Reply #45 on: 20:01:04, 03/10/19 »


I have to say though that (for me) how I plan a walk depends very much on the region. I've found that getting from A to B (and perhaps back again) in open access areas, such as national parks and/or Scottish highlands and islands, is very different from working out routes in areas like Kent. I find the former far more straightforward!


Yes, where I live in Warwickshire...you can be walking on one side of a hedgerow, then the other all within hundreds of yards, then through a farm yard, through peoples gardens and up alleyways..I think you would be good if you can memorise all those within a ten mile walk...Maybe my memory isnt as bad as I thought ;)
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BuzyG

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Re: How do people plan their walks?
« Reply #46 on: 20:12:08, 03/10/19 »
In addition to what the others have said, using a device is easier than struggling with a paper map in a strong wind    :)


Don't get me wrong.  I am very happy to use my phone's GPS to confirm my current location.  Much quicker than triangulation and it works in pea soup fog. Then I use my magnetic compass for direction.  I just don't pre plot or follow a gpx route I follow the route in my head. 

BuzyG

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Re: How do people plan their walks?
« Reply #47 on: 20:24:14, 03/10/19 »
Yes, where I live in Warwickshire...you can be walking on one side of a hedgerow, then the other all within hundreds of yards, then through a farm yard, through peoples gardens and up alleyways..I think you would be good if you can memorise all those within a ten mile walk...Maybe my memory isnt as bad as I thought ;)


Walking in urban and suburban areas is more like walking in fog or a forest.  So many more close details to retain.  Much easier to use a GPS if you have one.  Still perfectly possible to memorize a route though.  I have no GPS in my car either again I just memorise the route and off you go.  Worked driving from Cornwall to Spa and back.  ;)

BuzyG

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Re: How do people plan their walks?
« Reply #48 on: 20:52:19, 03/10/19 »
Buzy, I find the act of working out my route means that by the time I walk it I already know it too. However, since I am always walking new routes, the gps serves to keep track of progress and comes in handy when encountering paths or features that were not on the map and helps to keep me on the right track.  I find navigating in open spaces such as Dartmoor in decent visibility is relatively easy once you have learnt the major landmarks for the area.  Likewise, navigating in more confined country is not difficult following a planned route provided everything goes according to plan.
Yesterday, I was walking in the North Hill/Sheldon Forest  area.  My carefully prepared plan totally unravelled.  The paths shown on the OS map were actually non existent.  Then I encountered forest tracks that were not on the map at all and the icing on the cake was a "lane" on the map turned out to be two long defunct parallel field boundaries full or brambles and completely impassable.  A full replan was required to get us out of the forest and back to the right road.  In dense woodland you have no real lines of sight and you already know the detail of the map is wrong.  Under those circumstances, a gps is a really useful tool to work out where the path you are on, that is not on the map, is going!
Completely agree with you Ninthace.  Be sure that I use the GPS on my phone when I feel the need to confirm my exact location.  So much quicker simpler and more accurate than traditional methods. I just don't plot a preplanned route on it.

MrsG and I were lost in a forest, back before I had gps.  We also had no map, as it was a completely unplanned off the cuff wander on a national trust estate, stour head if I recall.  I did as always have my trusty compass with me.  Proved next to useless, we wondered around for over an hour before managing to retrace our steps out and walking around the way we had come.  A GPS would have been very welcome that day.
« Last Edit: 21:02:14, 03/10/19 by BuzyG »

Agentorange

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Re: How do people plan their walks?
« Reply #49 on: 21:13:31, 03/10/19 »
Getting lost isn't so much of a problem for me.  Due to health reasons my walks are very short typically 4-5 miles with plenty of breaks. I must admit to being awe of the hardened 20 milers here   :o I figure I can build stamina and muscle but I'm unlikely ever to be able to manage more than 6-7 miles

Equally Kent and East Sussex are going to be the majority of my walks. Since these are not really wilderness areas there's always going to be paths, roads etc. Indeed as observed by Whitstable Dave the challenge can often be planning a route that doesn't involve roads and so on. factor in the fact I generally do a circular route  and planning tends to be fairly good. My phone is so primitive I take a paper copy of the OS map with me in case I need to divert or match what I see in front of me with what's on the map.

I tend to start off with a paper map, look at a likely circular route and then move to the PC. Bing maps for that OS look, then Plotaroute as it often shows paths on public access land, permitted paths etc and finally Streetview to find gates, stiles , ends of narrow lanes and to fix some landmarks in my memory. Then off I go.

Owen

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Re: How do people plan their walks?
« Reply #50 on: 21:14:46, 03/10/19 »

  I just don't pre plot or follow a gpx route I follow the route in my head.


Me too, I think the "GO TO" button is the most useful thing on a GPS. As in "I'm here, I want to be there". Press the button and it gives an accurate bearing and distance. Then I can either use a compass or the GPS. 

Lee R

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Re: How do people plan their walks?
« Reply #51 on: 15:26:52, 05/10/19 »
OS Maps on PC & the App plus Google Earth for parking etc

richardh1905

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Re: How do people plan their walks?
« Reply #52 on: 07:29:51, 08/10/19 »
I love pouring over maps, so for me planning a route is easy. I will occasionally make use of satellite imagery to check the existence of a path, and the SMC guides give good general advice for the Highlands, but maps, first and foremost.
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sussamb

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Re: How do people plan their walks?
« Reply #53 on: 12:46:01, 09/10/19 »
That's not quite true as all the recent Garmin GPS (from around 2009) use advanced track navigation, see https://garmin.blogs.com/softwareupdates/2009/12/getting-more-out-of-track-navigation.html#.XZYUwk1Ybcs that effectively creates a route from a track.

This has got me thinking that perhaps the off course alarm would work with this, I rarely use tracks so I can't be sure but I'm going to check it out on my next walk  O0

Did a ten miler today having done a Where to, Tracks and can confirm the off course alarm didn't work, so it appears that it only works with routes.
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GnP

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Re: How do people plan their walks?
« Reply #54 on: 14:00:14, 09/10/19 »
  I just don't pre plot or follow a gpx route I follow the route in my head.
It would be interesting to have a poll as to who can memorise a route and who needs to check their gps/map often, as I do. I just cannot memorise a route like you do...that`s a gift I wish I had... ???
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sussamb

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Re: How do people plan their walks?
« Reply #55 on: 14:49:25, 09/10/19 »
Depends on the route. Some I can walk easily enough with just a rough idea of the route, others I need some help  O0
Where there's a will ...

Strider

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Re: How do people plan their walks?
« Reply #56 on: 15:34:26, 09/10/19 »
Agreed, very much depends.  Something like the Coledale horseshoe, or Helvellyn by the edges (except the start) are straightforward in clear conditions but less distinct terrain like parts of the Galloway hills or Yorkshire dales need a map to get round.

As for planning - some routes suggest themselves, particularly high level ridge walks.   I use Memory map - the 3d view is particularly useful for visualizing a route - and if I want a clearer idea of a point I'll check on Google or Bing maps satellite view, Geograph is another useful site for checking particular features.  Google Streetview is good for checking out potential parking spots.
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GnP

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Re: How do people plan their walks?
« Reply #57 on: 16:51:30, 09/10/19 »
Depends on the route. Some I can walk easily enough with just a rough idea of the route, others I need some help  O0
Yes there are a few routes I have walked many times so no problem. If I go to an area having mapped out an 8 mile walk for the first time, I`m sure I couldn`t walk it without referring to my gps or map on the way round..
.
& One situation is not so much to do with memory but a gps really helps me if walking down a stretch of road (which I try to avoid as much as I can) and the hedgerow is so overgrown, that sometimes you can barely see the stile, so to be able to pinpoint it, saves time walking along continually looking at the hedge instead of oncoming traffic.. ???
A night under silnylon. Doesn't have the same ring to it.

ninthace

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Re: How do people plan their walks?
« Reply #58 on: 17:52:30, 09/10/19 »
G&P.  A lot of it comes during the planning process.  I usually walk with my wife and I like to explain to her what is coming up has we go along.  It gives her confidence I know what I am doing and I can prepare her for the "sticky" bits.  This usually breaks down to relatively few points which hang together to describe the bulk on the route.
For example from our last walk:
Walk down from the car park through a line of trees to meet a probably muddy track and turn left.
Follow this track generally E with a sharp downhill S at one point then E in the woods looking for a better track going SW.
Follow better track generally downhill curving SE in wood.
Before next turn wood finishes first on left, then on right then cattle grid.  Hard right onto really good track, possibly metalled.
Go gently uphill past cabin camp to car park, turn main track left to cross stream on track
Track, probably not as good, climbs steadily in woods, take hairpin right to climb with drop on right.
At end, track drops to meet another track.  Climb W through wood, leave through gate, keep climbing to road and car park.
Right at end of car park uphill to trig point.
Pass trig point to meet EW track, go E to start.


Harder to write here than to remember in the planning stage as I can relate each bit to the shape of the route in my head and the broad elevation profile (sequence of major ups and downs).  The important points are the major turns.
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