An interesting article popped up on my Facebook feed at the weekend titled “Google removes dangerous Carrauntoohil routes from maps at request of Kerry Mountain Rescue”. In summary – Kerry Mountain Rescue asked Google Maps to stop directing people to the summit of Ireland’s highest mountain via some very challenging routes including the Stumpa a’ tSaimh ridge which requires some tricky scrambling!

To be honest I’m not that surprised to hear that people are using Google Maps to navigate in the hills, particularly those looking to climb Carrauntoohil, as the highest peak in a country tends to attract keen, but very inexperienced hikers.

I use Google Maps for driving all the time, however, it is atrocious for navigating in the hills; offering a minimum of detail and with very unreliable route selection as mentioned above.

Using a mobile

Phones have been around a while now, but it’s only  relatively recently that they become suitable for mountain navigation thanks to developments with GPS chips, weatherproofing, battery life and signal. This combined with covid-inspired surge in hiking has meant that more people than ever are venturing out  without a map and compass.

And if these people rely on a completely unsuitable app like Google Maps then there is going to be problems. However, phones can’t be blamed for this.

With a gps-enabled phone you know exactly where you are at all times. This is a huge advantage over a map and compass. However, you still need to be able to decide the best route from point to point, this requires reading the terrain rather than just blindly following a line on the map.

Navigation is only one factor

There is a lot more to staying safe in the hills then just knowing how to navigate – a good understanding of terrain, equipment, advance planning, risk assessment etc are all vital. None of which can be provided by a phone.

That said I’m a big advocate of the mobile phone as the primary navigation device in the hills, but I think a lot of people turn their noses up at the idea, particularly those who have invested time in developing good analogue navigation skills.

Navigation versus planning

As someone who produces various maps I certainly think they still have an important role to play. A paper map comes into its own for planning, when you can lay out a large sheet of paper and get an overview in which all the detail is still visible. They also have their place on the hills, but need to be robust to be practical, an uncoated paper map won’t last long on the Irish climate.

Pros and cons of using a mobile

Navigating with a phone has its challenges, but I think they can be all addressed.

What about signal? You can’t be sure of one in some of the more remote parts of Ireland. The app I’m most familiar with, OSMAnd, more of which later, allows you to download a detailed map of the entire island, meaning that you don’t require a signal to use it. In fact you can put your phone in flight mode to save the battery.

Phones are delicate devices, most aren’t waterproof or shockproof, so they need to be carried in some sort of case to prevent damage and allow them to be used in bad weather. They also rely on battery power, but charging a phone fully before starting, keeping it in flight mode and carrying a powerpack as a back should address this issue.

Having some sort of back-up is critical and in the same way a map can blow away or a compass be lost a phone could be dropped or damaged. If you are part of agroup them it should be possible to make sure at least two people have fully-charged phone, with the right apps installed in waterpoof cases. Those on their own would be wise to carry a map and compass and know now to use them.

The cold can be a really issue both for battery life and when trying to use a touch screen with gloves on.

Mountains Skills Courses

Mountain Skills is the standard for learning to navigate in the uplands in Ireland and the UK. It also is a stepping stone for the Mountain Leader course which is the qualification for leading groups in the hills.

The Mountain Skills course consists of two weekends and a weekend assessment. As you can see from the syllabus it is very comprehensive consisting of 40 hours of classroom and fieldwork over the two weekends. There is a strong focus on map and compass, and notably, no mention of using other devices like phones or GPSs.

To me, in this day and age, this seems very old-fashioned. Accounting for the issues mentioned earlier I believe that a mobile phone is the best device for navigating in the hills. And that most people would benefit from some instruction on how best out of them and how to mitigate against any potential downsides.

It would be great to see an updated course with more of a focus on digital navigation. I think this would lower the barrier of entry and allow more people to acquire the skills required to stay safe in the hills.

All that said, redundancy in both equipment and skills is vital, and I think it would be wise to continue to teach some of the basics of compass work, specifically how to take a bearing off the map and to follow it, but only as a backup.