How the old-fashioned skill of map-reading can bring new opportunities to connect afresh with the outdoor world

When was the last time you headed outside with a printed map in one hand and a compass in the other? If your answer is ‘never’ or ‘too long ago to remember’, you’re not alone. The proliferation of navigational apps and guided walks has made it easier to head off without any orienteering skills. But does that mean map-reading could – or should – be written off? Or might there be a happy medium where the old and the new can join forces? After all, it’s important to acknowledge that all navigational tools have their place. As ‘guerrilla geographer and creative explorer’ Dan Raven-Ellison says: ‘People are using maps more than ever through an array of apps. It’s a great way to encourage everyone outside and to help them find their way more easily.’

Technology has other benefits, too, from checking weather on the go to helping with tricky navigation and identifying wildlife. But smartphones can bind walkers to the screen, separating them from their surroundings and distracting from the here and now, whereas a printed map can enhance navigational skills, which, in turn, can aid safety. Within the physical contours and historical features of a landscape, mapreading can also create opportunities to be curious about the natural environment and humanity’s role within it.