On a mountain map grid references are fantastic for either roughly or exactly pin pointing your location.
You can find mainly two kinds of grid reference, a four figure and a six figure.
When you appear at an ordinance survey map you will see a grid of squares within the actual mountain map.
The grid squares are made of grid lines that are labelled both vertically and horizontally.
The vertical lines run from the top to the bottom of the map with each line being marked with a quantity 01, 02, 03 etc.
Similarly the horizontal lines run from the left hand side to the right hand side of the mountain map and are labelled on both sides inside same way 01, 02, 03 etc.
A 4 number grid reference will merely reference a square inside the grid.
This really is determined by the horizontal reference (sayಆ) primary and then the vertical reference (say 10). It really is often in this order.
A excellent way to remember this I have found is “along the corridor (horizontal) and up the stairs (vertical)” – on our mountain map.
So for this example the 4 figure grid reference (which can be a grid square about the map) is 0610.
To get this spot on a mountain map far more accurate a 6 number grid reference is employed.
Here we still use the 4 figure grid reference but we add one more 2 figures.
This will pin point the area within the square in the 4 number reference.
Initial take the Horizontal grid line 06 and look at the next horizontal line 07.
You imagine the space concerning 06 and 07 as split into 10 far more grid lines and set an estimated figure from 1-10.
So horizontally when you believe the location is halfway concerning 06 and 07 then the horizontal ref is 065.
Should you believe the area is really a third from 06 to 07 you could say the horizontal ref is 063 etc.
Let us say that it truly is 063 on our mountain map.
You do precisely the exact same for the vertical grid lines.
The vertical ref is going to be involving 10 and 11 in our example.
You imagine 10 small grid lines involving 10 and 11 and allocate a amount where your location is vertically 1-10.
Let us say you think it truly is about 4. So our vertical grid ref is 104. Now put the 2 grid refs together – again “along the corridor (horizontal) and up the stairs (vertical)”.
So our 6 number ref on our mountain map is 063104
By making use of a 6 figure reference we can accurately pin point where a area is within the mountain map.
This is wonderful for start out and finishes of hikes. Scout hike patrols are given a 6 number reference to start and finish.
They then make their own route in between these 2 references. It can be a great exercise.
Have an excellent mountain hike with your mountain map.
