How to follow a contour line
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- Опубліковано 3 лип 2024
- To stay at the same elevation, an altimeter can be extremely useful. An altimeter measures altitude, allowing you to know precisely when you are gaining or losing height.
However, if you don't have access to an altimeter, you can still navigate effectively using a map. Begin by identifying your current position on the map and finding a feature or landmark on the same contour line. It could be a rock, a tree, a path, or any distinguishable point that lies at the same elevation.
Once you have identified a point on the same contour line, walk towards it. It is important to note that the path you take does not have to be perfectly level. You might go up or down slightly along the way due to the natural undulations of the terrain. The key is to ensure that when you arrive at the intermediate point, you are at the same height as when you started. By repeating this process-identifying a point on the same contour line and walking towards it-you can maintain your elevation until you reach your final destination. This method, though simple, requires careful observation and map-reading skills, making it an invaluable technique for anyone traversing hilly or mountainous regions.
The best orienteering channel on the internet. Period.
During a military training period at Otterburn, we were sent out on a night navigation exercise. The plan given to us was pretty straight forward but, very much in the military theme of "No plan survives contact", within a few hundred metres it all went wrong when our way was blocked by a new tree plantation protected by barbed wire. A huge detour was necessary and if we were to avoid skylining (!) on the high ground and grindingly slow knee-deep mud and water on the low ground then we had to thread our way 1400m across the middle part of the slope. I chose to do that whole leg on a contour line which I hoped would lead us back on course with minimum delay.
I took a line directly up the fall until I had paced our way to the correct height. I then gave the pacing task to the second man in the party who was to tell me every time he had paced 100m. I wandered off across the slope weaving up and down a few steps every so often to test the slope so that even in the darkness and variable ground I could stay at the same height. This all went surprisingly well and we emerged into the next feature at exactly the right point, losing far less time than we had feared. Lots of shaking of heads, "Never seen that before." and "That's not in the book!"
I have since used the same sort of contour line wandering in low visibility in the Cairngorms in winter.
I’ve been following your channel for some time, I must say, I enjoy when you add history in your tutorials!! It an awesome journey, on what happened in the UK. Thank you so much for sharing your tutorials, your an awesome instructor and inspiring, it helps me stay in the woods with confidence!!👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸👊🏿 from Washington state.
I’m famous 😮
Thank you for answering my question. 👍
I love your content! Outstanding stuff... and presented in an accessible way. Just an offering to the algorithm gods... like, comment, subscribe and hit the all notifications bell, y'all!!!
When I first saw your chart onscreen I was "that's some interesting terrain to have a 390/490 contour line!" and then I learned it was an error and you reported it to the Ordnance Survey.... BZ!
Anyway... keep them coming.... sending out positive vibes from Canada.
seriously the most entertaining channel on yt. And it also super educational, you have very good pedagogy! I have learned all i have struggled to learn elsewhere about navigation.
Thank you!
Keep it up!
you must write a book so us old guys dont forget😊.
I have played out a scenario in my mind. It being, I have hiked 3 miles into the wilderness from my car/trailhead and camped overnight. Next day I have to go home but it's snowing and it's a whiteout. I know the general direction I need to go. I notice on the map a contour line takes me very close to my destination. Could one follow that line to get back to the trailhead using the altimeter? ( This is hypothetical; I have a GPS with SOS and map and compass and altimeter of course in reality, but I can't see more than a foot in front of me). What would you do in severe fog (we call it tule fog on the West Coast of the USA)
If you have an altimeter then yes following the contour back to your car would seem a good option.
Mind you (just in case) if your car is on a road I would tend to Aim Off slightly to make it certain that you'll get to where you want.
@@TheMapReadingCompany Actually, if you'll humor me, what could a person do if they were in a white out and they didn't know where they were. And said person had trekked around for awhile trying to find the trail or such. Obviously sit tight is the logical answer, but suppose you had to head somewhere. And your GPS-SOS died, but your cell phone is getting an altimeter setting, but that's all. Your map software died for some reason, but you have a paper map and a compass. Are there any possibilities in that situation? Followup: I finally got through enough of your videos to find the answers. I really appreciate all the work you do putting them together. The Q&A video was most helpful.
I try to follow the contour line when I mow the grass. I start at the highest point in the yard and make my way back and forth, slowly going down the slope until the yard is fully mowed. The goal is to not have to push the mower uphill more than once.
Great video! Next I’ll watch Time Team go into badger mode and dig holes in the wall😊
Just curious, but I have Topo Maps with the declination diagram stating that the declination Increases Annually 3.3 degrees. The current declination is 10.3 degrees west. Does INCREASING mean it gets further west each year or moves closer to the true north alignment. Some maps also refer to a decreasing declination rather than simply stating a west direction or east direction.
Thanks for any clarification of the above.
Cheers!
Decreasing is normally used to say the declination is moving towards True North, increasing means it's moving away - basically the declination is getting bigger or smaller.
So 10.3 west or east + 3.3 increase = 13.6
10.3 west or east - 3.3 decrease = 7
@@TheMapReadingCompany Thanks for the quick response, they are older topo maps so after figuring the years and changes to declination wanted to ensure I was headed in the correct direction. Cheers!
Hi Wayne - at 2 mins.32 secs, have you noticed the misprint on the OS map as shown on the screen (and verified on my own sheet OL2)?
😄😄😄 Cheers.
👍
Ha! - just seen the comment below!