Hillwalking Navigation Guide: OS Maps & Outdoor Safety

Hillwalking Navigation: Why standard phone maps fail and what to use instead

Relying on standard phone navigation like Google or Apple Maps in the hills is one of the leading causes of preventable Mountain Rescue callouts in the UK. While built-in maps work well in towns, they lack contour lines, public rights of way, and offline reliability needed for safe hillwalking.

Paper maps don't crash, freeze in sub-zero cold, or run out of battery. Electronics should always be backed up with physical navigation tools and basic compass skills.

Four Basic map reading skills every walker should know:

1. Orienting the Map: Place your compass flat on the map and rotate the paper until the grid lines point North along with the magnetic needle.

2. Reading Contours: Lines packed close together mean steep ground or cliffs; lines far apart indicate flat or gentle terrain.

3. Finding a Grid Reference: Read "along the corridor, then up the stairs" (Eastings then Northings) to generate a 6-figure coordinate.

4. Taking a Bearing: Use your compass baseplate to line up your route and follow the direction-of-travel arrow when visibility drops in thick fog or darkness.

Check out our guide on the Emergency SMS Service, sometimes a text message can get through when a phone call can't.

Ordnance Survey (OS) Maps is the only navigation app officially endorsed by Mountain Rescue England and Wales (MREW). MREW recommends OS Maps for navigating in the mountains, hills, and countryside. 

Why OS Maps is recommended

• Offline : OS Maps can be downloaded and viewed offline, no internet connection required.

• Accurate detail: OS Maps provides detailed mapping at 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 scale.

• Route planning: OS Maps allows users to plot, customize, and save routes.

• 3D mapping: OS Maps includes 3D mapping and a 3D fly-through option.

• AR tools: OS Maps includes augmented reality (AR) tools.

• Locate Me: OS Maps includes Locate Me, which provides GPS-based location tracking, a built-in compass, and the ability to share your location.

OS Maps

OS Maps Online

https://osmaps.com/

OS Locate

Authors Note:

All our routes are plotted using OS Maps. We also use OS Maps as our main method of navigation.

All our routes can be downloaded free of charge in GPX format, these can then be imported into the OS Maps app.

Paths are not always easily visible, or may be overgrown, OS Maps can help keep you on track. You can then find a safe path to reach your next map point or waymarker, while heading in the right direction.

We also recommend the OS Locate app. The OS locate app is a fast and highly accurate means of pinpointing your exact location, anywhere in Great Britain. The app converts GPS location readings from your mobile phone to Ordnance Survey National Grid references, enabling you to determine precisely where you are on an Ordnance Survey map. The app does not require a mobile signal to function – the inbuilt GPS system can be relied upon, even in the most remote areas. This would allow you to give an accurate 6 figure grid reference to the emergency services in the case of an emergency.

. . .  Stay safe  . . .