HIKING
Navigating the Outdoors – Part of the Adventure By Bill Anderson, Ottawa Orienteering Club
Photo by Mike Beedell
A FEW WEEKS AGO I set out from Ottawa towards Quebec City for a ski holiday. I had been there a few times, the last time about 10 years ago. I couldn’t find my provincial road map but I didn’t think there would be a problem. I would simply follow the road signs and then use a friend’s phone instructions to get to her place in the old city. Well, we missed the first exit to Quebec City after the Champlain Bridge, and then almost missed route 30—which was still under construction the last time I passed that way. A couple of hours later we crossed the new bridge at Quebec City but wandered into the wrong part of town by following our friend’s (who does not drive) general instructions. Fortunately, we found a tourist kiosk that supplied information, and maps that we should have studied before we started out. You would think I would know better. I spend a lot of time in the outdoors making and/or updating topographical maps for orienteering and cross-country skiing. I also love to sail and wouldn’t think of heading out without the most detailed chart I could find for my sailing plan. Buy the Map! If you are a tourist or an adventurer you will expand your awareness and improve your feeling of security if you always know where you are and how to proceed to your next objective. So buy or borrow a current and detailed map of the area you plan to visit. Those statements may sound trite, but I frequently meet hikers or skiers in the middle of Gatineau Park who: a) Don’t have a map (or compass) and don’t have a clue where they are; b) Have a 25 year old map and can’t figure out the current trail system; or c) Have a map, but can’t relate the scale to their objective and/or don’t understand the mapping symbols. Detailed maps for specific park areas can be purchased at most outdoor outfitters in the Ottawa area or at the Visitor Centres at the park gates. For a complete selection of adventure and tourist maps, I recommend visiting a store like A World of Maps on Wellington Street. Understand the Map Maps for outdoor adventures vary from versions that provide only sketches of the local trail network to much more useful Ottawa Outdoors Summer
topographic (topo) maps that provide contours, water features, and man-made objects - including the trails. These better maps also include a grid to provide navigational reference points like longitude and latitude. If you plan on any off-trail adventures you simply must have a recent topo map with you, and the knowledge to use it effectively. The level of detail on these maps can sometimes be overwhelming to a novice—particularly the contours—there is a learning curve that must be followed to become comfortable with using these maps. You could take a comprehensive course in land navigation, like the one offered at Algonquin College, but for most weekend adventurers that’s not necessary. Instead, you could study a book, like the classic Be Expert with Map and Compass by Kjellstrom, or you could contact a local orienteering club to see when it offer clinics on using a map and compass. Beyond the basic instruction, the key to confident navigation
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