Saturday, 21 October 2023

On maps over compasses

For some reason, I keep thinking about something that happened during a geography lesson in my third year of high school. The module was about navigating in the wild. The teacher asked us would we rather have a compass or a map if we couldn’t have both. If my memory is correct, everyone else wanted the compass. I was the only one who wanted the map. The teacher approved of my answer. I have sometimes wondered why I was the only one. My best theory is that I been on enough hikes to know and read maps.

I also have theory on why I was thinking about that incident. I believe it was yesterday, but a nurse or doctor commented that my healing process wouldn’t be sprint but a marathon. I muttered that it was all very well, but I would like a map of the route!

2 comments:

candmwanderings.wordpress.com said...

Yes the map is the right answer of course. I once ran an orienteering course with no compass, but with no map I would have been lost. Yes get a map or timeline of your recovery… then you can pace yourself against it. Chris

Anonymous said...

Indeed, I can easily orienteer with no compass (unless lost). A compass only really helps you orient it and take bearings. It is helpful if lost, but if there are large features you can mostly likely roughly orient the map anyway.