How do I know if contour lines mean the hill is steep or flat?

When contour lines are far apart, the ground is flat or gently sloping. When they're close together, it's steep—and if they're so tightly packed they look like a solid block of orange, you're looking at a cliff or something that'll require using your hands.

What's the difference between green dashed lines and black dashed lines on an OS map?

Green dashed lines are legal Public Rights of Way, but the actual path might not exist on the ground—it could just be a line across a bog. Black dashed lines show a physical path the surveyor saw, but it might not be a legal right of way.

How long does it actually take to walk a kilometre in the hills?

On flat ground, a kilometre takes about fifteen to twenty minutes for most people. Going uphill, you can basically double that—and in bad conditions like headwinds on a Scottish Munro, timing goes out the window entirely.

Staying on Track

Map Reading - The Art of Not Getting Lost (Mostly)

Forget the blue dot; here’s how we master the paper map to turn those confusing hillside squiggles into a foolproof path back to the pub.

8 August 202615 min read