The Uses & Abuses of GPS

I really don’t like using a GPS to navigate with when out walking. I’ll come to the reasons later. This is somewhat ironic, as I introduced GPS technology to the hiking company I used to work for, and then spent 15 years teaching their hiking leaders how to use it. We amassed an incredible database of gpx files (the file format in which a GPS track is saved) for every hike we did anywhere in the world. These were tried and tested routes, regularly checked by the hiking leaders and amended if necessary. The tracks could be viewed together over mapping software on a laptop, so the leader knew exactly what the options were before setting out. And the tracks could be loaded into a dedicated GPS like a Garmin, or onto a phone with a suitable app, then used out in the hills to navigate faultlessly. One leader commented ‘I’m so glad we’ve got GPS tracks for this holiday, as I can now concentrate on the many other things a leader has to do to keep the group happy’.
I remember one incident in the days before GPS navigation where a GPS could have got a group and the leader out of a very dangerous situation. The group was on a trip through the Gran Paradiso National Park in northern Italy, staying in mountain huts and spending most of the time above 2000m. The leader was a very experienced map and compass navigator with decades of high mountain experience behind him. The third day in, snow had covered many of the paths and the cloud was low. After an hour the leader realised that he had lost the path – neither the path itself nor any of the usual red and white painted waymarks on rocks were visible. He used the standard relocation technique of walking perpendicular to the path to try and find it, but to no avail. His only remaining option was to retreat down to the valley. Unfortunately, he chose a convex slope. This is one where you cannot see beyond a certain point, so you have no idea what lies ahead. He was worried, and so were the rest of the group, but it seemed like the only option left. Luckily they got away with it, and reached the valley in one piece.
If this had happened after the arrival of GPS, a different story would have been told. On realising he had lost the route, the leader would have got out his GPS with a pre-loaded track on it for the walk. He would then have calmly led the group back to the path, and continued to the next hut, making sure that the arrow on the map representing their location was on the preset line.
So as a safety tool, a GPS can potentially be a life saver.
If using GPS out on a walk, most people use their phones. For popular lowland walks this fair enough. But if you are walking in a remote area you should seriously consider having a dedicated GPS like a Garmin. This is because if you get into difficulties, your phone is your primary means of calling the emergency services. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the peak for accidents on the hills is mid to late afternoon, when people are starting to feel tired. By that time it could well be that your phone’s battery is low, having been used for photos, videos and navigating. GPS on your phone will gobble up power at an alarming rate. Not only will your screen be lit, but the device will be communicating with satellites 20000km away. In addition, if it’s cold, battery life will be shorter. So just when you need a full battery on your phone for something really important, you’re down to 3%. This situation can be avoided by making sure you have a full powerbank and charging cable with you, another fully charged phone in the party or a dedicated GPS. If you do need to contact mountain rescue, depending on your location, it can take many hours for them to reach you. All mountain rescue teams around the world specifically recommend that if you are using GPS technology to navigate, you also carry a map and compass and know how to use them. Maps and compasses don’t run on batteries.
So the safety-aware hiker uses GPS technology, a map and a compass, realises the limitations of each, and takes care of them. I use the OS mapping app on my phone when in the UK, but it spends most of the time in my pocket and I have a fully charged powerbank in my rucksack.
If the area is new to me I always use a map and compass to navigate, The bottom line is that it’s simply more rewarding. As a map covers a larger area than a phone or GPS screen, I have a much greater awareness of what is around me on the map and on the ground. I can then relate the the forest ahead, the ridge to my right, the farm coming up on the left. In fact, because I am not fixated on the small pink arrow on a screen, I can easily predict things I cannot see. I am also aware of slopes, whether I am heading towards a valley or a ridge, where the peaks is on my walk. I keep my thumb on my location as I walk along. If I want to change my route I can make a sensible judgement on the alternatives. I am not limited to routes downloaded from the internet, from books, or from social media reels.
In short, I am free to wander.