G'day ,
When I walk the Way of St James, I always take a map. Not just the one on my tablet (screenshots, as my device needs WiFi to connect to the internet), but an old-fashioned paper one, too.
For me, it's a backup plan. If I lose the trail, I'll probably end up somewhere off the map on my device. The paper map lets me look at a bigger area, and see where I am.
When the trail is marked with the Way of St James scallop (1) signs, it's easy to follow. However, the section I did last week had very few scallop signs.
I had walked most of the week with a friend, who had a watch with GPS. It was easy to stay on the right trail, because his watch told him when we left the trail. I checked everything on my tablet, so I didn't get lazy, but it wasn't necessary (2l.
On Saturday, I headed off by myself. First, I went along an asphalt road. It was easy to follow along on my tablet.
I turned into the forest at the right place - there was a big sign saying it was the road to where I was going. But in the forest, it's harder to match what I see around me with the information on my tablet. I knew I had to turn after about three kilometres. But how do you measure three kilometres?
Suddenly, another big sign appeared. Using my walking speed to estimate (3) where I needed to turn, this seemed correct, so I turned.
At first, what I saw sort of matched the map on my tablet. But as I went further, there were big differences. I knew the road would come out somewhere, so I kept going.
Finally, I found myself in a town, but it was the wrong one. I sat down and looked at my paper map. It was easy to see where I was. Now, I just needed to walk about eight kilometres to get to the right town.
Can you read a map, ? Could you find your way from one place to another using a paper map, or would you need a smart device?
I hope you stay on the right track all week (and don't get lost!)
Andrea
(1) scallop - a shellfish that can be eaten. The symbol of the Way of St James
(2) not necessary - I didn't need to
(3) estimate - to guess, but based on maths
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