Heather Morning: navigation can be more difficult in winter conditions

A mountain expert warned hillgoers against overreliance on electronic devices for navigation.

Heather Morning, the Mountaineering Council of Scotland’s mountain safety adviser, said battery life in GPS and mobile devices can be significantly reduced in the cold conditions.

If walkers and mountaineers rely solely on electronic gadgets to navigate they can be left unable to find their way if the units fail.

The MCofS said: “In cold conditions battery life is significantly reduced and, unless batteries can be replaced, or alternative navigation tools are available, people can be left with no means of finding out where they are.

“And small buttons and touch-screen devices can be impossible to operate with gloves on – or to operate with fingers which are numbed with cold if gloves are taken off.

“Ability to use the devices properly has also been a problem. Calls to the mountain rescue have even been made where the caller was able to give a 10-figure grid reference from their GPS, which is accurate to one square metre, but was unable to use the unit to navigate safely off the hill.”

Ms Morning said: “Navigation in the Scottish mountains can be challenging – particularly in winter when snow can bury important reference points like burns.

“There’s a temptation to think that splashing out lots of money on an electronic gadget is going to solve all your navigation and safety concerns. But recent trends with mountain rescue call-outs suggest the opposite.”

She issued advice to electronic navigation gadget users:

• Ensure you practise with your GPS or smartphone mapping system and learn how to use it in a safe environment
• Remember that battery life will be very limited, particularly in the cold
• All electronic devices stand the risk of malfunction. Always ensure that you also carry a map and compass and, crucially, that you have the knowledge and skills to use them
• It is easy to become lazy and rely on technology and loose the ‘edge’ on your map and compass skills
• Your compass should be stored and used well away from any electronic devices. Metal and magnets have the capacity to influence your compass reading either temporarily or permanently.