Navigating in Dangerous Terrain

Navigating in dangerous terrain with a map and compass, maybe in total darkness, brings extra significant challenges. Even with a powerful head torch, the lack of natural light will hide, or at least obscure, crucial details of the terrain, rendering it challenging to identify landmarks, elevation changes, and potential obstacles.
This diminished visibility not only hampers accurate interpretation of the map but also increases the risk of misjudging the surrounding environment.
At night there is always a high chance of falling and tripping which (physiologically) can be challenging for even the most experienced hiker.
The inability to perceive uneven terrain, obstacles, or sudden changes in landscape elevates the risk of slips, trips, and falls. Negotiating through the darkness demands a heightened sense of caution and a keen awareness of the immediate surroundings.
The basics are that navigating with a map and compass in complete darkness amplifies the risks already in dangerous terrain. You should take everything slowly and carefully, tell someone, exactly, where you are going and only use navigation strategies which you are fully confident in.
Link to "how to navigate at night video"
• Night navigation with ...
Link to the "What are shake holes" video
• What are Shake Holes &...
Link to the Route Plan download page:
mapreading.co.uk/sample-route-...
Link to the "What to carry in your rucksack" video
• What to carry in your ...

[@stpetie7686]

The waffles on this channel are more entertaining and informative than the "planned" content on most any other channel. Thanks again for another great video and more great info.

[@muchasgracias6976]

After watching this, its safe to say that shake holes and pot holes scare the hell out of me!

[@georgemcdaniel8625]

I enjoy the waffeling as much as the video.

[@X3RUBIM]

Very interesting, I have never seen anything like those.

[@TheXeroid]

Excellent video and I loved the out-take with the trig information.

[@lowdee]

Your waffle is always the best! 😊

[@BuckMckawtheotherone]

So glad you kept the trig point waffle intact. That is very interesting information. Thank you.

[@inregionecaecorum]

Walls are handy things to follow, but some of them in Eryri follow a very steep route, it amazes me how they got there in the first place, it is enough effort to stay vertical on such a slope but somebody was carrying stones up there!

[@PhilWaud]

Thank you so much for putting in the time and effort to make this video and sharing your amazing skills and knowledge. I really appreciate that these little nuggets may someday get me out of a nasty situation!

[@keithadams1538]

I enjoyed the trig point talk. I bet we are the most mapped out country in the world with trig points and bench marks everywhere

[@Panicagq2]

Look up the Great Trigonometric Survey of India - fascinating stuff if you like cartography.

[@robertturner2516]

A world of knowledge in your subject... the knowledge you put in your films is superb

[@aRVeesBlog]

wow very interesting experience friend

[@oscarrox]

I didn't know about shake holes and pot holes, they are really scary. So much useful information in your videos.

[@billbrason138]

Another great video packed with good information, keep the waffles coming really enjoy them

[@Farlig69]

Don't ever delete the waffles!!!! More waffle please!!!!!!!

[@arthurpanopoulos8482]

Nice work explaining walking in the dark.

[@keeblem1]

Great and interesting video

[@glyncrowley9332]

Great video, learnt a lot and the Trig point info at the end was a real bonus.

[@rogercarroll1663]

Great work. thank you

[@doughobbs7706]

The yorkshire dales.... a cavers paradise!

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

I used to be able to worm through the cheese press in lower long churn . . . . . . . but now?

[@doughobbs7706]

I know it well! 👍

[@redeyedmongoose2963]

Outstanding, absolutely, outstanding video I just found your channel I just subscribed, right

[@robstone8782]

nice video, well illustrated, and some nasty hazards there. I think i would be tempted to choose 500m rather than 450m (to horizontal gridline) for ease of timing/pacing calculation, still leaving me well over 50m short of the sink hole by the wall and being wary on final approach (traffic light). Then 60 degrees rather than 58 for ease as it wouldnt matter at which safe point you hit the wall (right upto 90 - due East, but that quite downhill) . Again great video and discussion. And great info on trig points !

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

Hi Rob, there is another video on YT which describes those side (sighting) holes as “lifting holes, used to hoist the trig point into position”. Hmmmmmmm

[@mrparlanejxtra]

From any trig station you can always see two others. They are bow obsolete for land surveying due to GPS,

[@nafnist]

Its so much fun.

[@willian.direction6740]

You could be a good SOTA op visiting those trigs.

[@wonkydogleathercraft6698]

Do you have military training? I can't work out how anyone can use a map that precisely!

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

Link to "how to navigate at night video" kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJmsanunpshki8U

[@tubefreakmuva]

Where was this??? Ive never seen that before, thanks 🙏

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

Above the tarn near Malham

[@mrparlanejxtra]

Know when to turn back

[@I-Have-Many]

I no longer want to walk the English countryside. 😱

[@asmith7876]

I've never heard of shake holes...yikes! We have similar things in the USA, we call them sinkholes. Sometimes an entire house will disappear into one. I've hiked at night but only on trails I know well and with a really good headlamp.

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

I did a full video, just on them kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpiVm5iGYs-Npbs

[@tomtom4405]

You have the same in US but only on "karst" landscape (a limestone formation), for example lots in an area of Northern Kentucky, when they are big you call them pits. There is a whole underground world down there which has it's own navigation!! Interested to see this channel go down Gaping Gill and cover subterranean navigation :)

[@eddiefitz1970]

Is there any tips or advice on how best to fit a paper OS map into a case like your one in the video 👍

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

Just for you: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mn3Ein2HlNafisk

[@wesley20991]

I have a question, here in Minnesota we have some huge magnetic rocks that actually throw off the needles on compasses do you have any tips or suggestions to overcome the natural interference while navigating.

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

There are a few places like that in The UK. When I'm near them I just reply on my map

[@frankfaubert1927]

Great video. Did I miss the link to the route sheet? I didn't find anything in the description or on the website. What causes the sink holes? Mining? Unstable geology?

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

Hi Frank, yes you're right. I didn't put the link in the description. Thanks for letting me know. I have now added it.

[@frankfaubert1927]

@@TheMapReadingCompany Thank you so much for the PDF link. Also for the link to the shake hole video. I've never seen that before, at least to my knowledge.

[@BCVS777]

Great video! How did you accurately follow a bearing in the dark? Did you pick a point out as far as your head lamp would shine, walk to it and repeat? Thanks

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

Yes. It takes much longer at night and the trick is (if possible) to always do a back bearing at each point you're walking to back to your last point. Also don't always try and walk to the furthest point you can see with your torch, but rather walk to the most obvious point, even if it's only a few meters away. I didn’t show it on the video but on the way down it started to snow quite a lot and there were lots of very big pot holes next to the wall (which aren't shown on the map) so I used the old military trick of leaving my rucksack on the ground, then walk away and doing a rotation back bearing to that. Then leave my spare torch there whilst I went and collected my rucksack and you just keep doing that until you can get a fix on something. OK you do look a bit crazy 😊 crabbing sidewards all over the hill, but it’s a really simple technique and it works: See this video at 3:20 kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGLYfp6sZp6Ir9k Link to "how to navigate at night video" kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJmsanunpshki8U

[@BCVS777]

@@TheMapReadingCompany Thanks a bunch!

[@multiSamP23]

That idea of using back bearings to check your position can be a very valuable survival skill. I was always taught if you're walking in a group and get caught out by low cloud, one person stays put and the next person walks forward to a point where they can just see the stationary person and takes a back bearing against that person. You can do this as long as it takes to get yourself off the mountain safely. Like playing leapfrog. Works very well.

[@wpherigo1]

Pot holes not shown on the map? Egads!

[@mihailvormittag6211]

👍

[@paddor]

How do those shake holes and pot holes form? Underground erosion by water?

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

I've given a brief explanation in this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpiVm5iGYs-Npbs

[@paddor]

@@TheMapReadingCompany Thank you

[@sarahjane9571]

Can you talk through the kit you wore in the night to stop you freezing?

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

I tend to go for layers rather than one thick jacket. I can’t remember what I was wearing but it looks like a Montaine smock and a North Face fleece. I will have had more layers under that - the more layers you have the warmer you stay 😊 It was cold but there was no wind and it’s the wind that normally “gets” you in these conditions. If there had been "any" wind I would have put my waterproofs on. If you have a reasonable set of waterproofs then the wind won’t affect you, this year mine are Berghaus MTN Guide GTX Pro. I turn down all offers of sponsorship (I normally get one a month) for my videos so I can use any equipment and wear any clothing that I feel will do the job properly - rather than trying to sell things. So please don’t assume that I’m recommending any of the clothing mentioned. It works for me but you should look around at what you feel would work for you in the conditions which you think you may find yourself.

[@sarahjane9571]

@@TheMapReadingCompany thank you, that’s helpful

[@andyleighton6969]

Dangerous terrain navigation at night...don't! It's what your bivvy bag's for.

[@mrparlanejxtra]

Stayout of caves and stay home at nighr, There is nothing to see

[@JohnDoe-ee6qs]

I wonder if anyone has ever run a camera down those holes, probably full of bones

[@stehume]

I really thought we were going to get waffle about the shake holes and pot holes...... i like the waffle means im going to have to google up shake holes

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

Here you are: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpiVm5iGYs-Npbs

[@stehume]

thank you for that, i did search on here after i wrote it and found your video. thanks again@@TheMapReadingCompany

[@imoffthehillma8013]

Don't ever stop the waffle mate!