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Waymarking is in Red and White

Different scales require different strategies

• A trip overview (500km) might be done on paper
• The next few days worth (50km) could be comfortably viewed on a tablet
• The next hour (from 5km down to 500m) can be done easily on a phone
• The next few steps (between 50m and 5m) requires looking at the terrain, waymarks and the path itself

These are the strategies I will adopt on this trail:

Plan A: Waymarking. For the most part I expect it will be quite an easy trail to follow and adequately signposted. But it appears that there are areas of low (and scratchy) scrub where finding the path is both more difficult and more important. Update: It was pretty easy for 98% of the time.

Plan B: iPhone with the Maps.Me app loaded with all the Tracks and Waypoints I have prepared. This is especially useful for looking up things that are ahead on the trail or calculating a quick distance-till-lunch/camp. Update: The track I had loaded was about 95% in agreement with the facts in the ground. Where these differed I went with the marked trail. 

Plan C: Garmin GPS turning it on/off whenever I need it. Used that way (30x2mins per day) I can get over three weeks use out of one set of AA batteries. I will carry a spare set. It is one of the two main reasons I still have this device which I otherwise find limited and whose software is irritatingly badly designed. That said it is robust and waterproof enough to use it where I’d rather not use the phone. And for the little I demand of it it works well enough. As as it is now 6 years old it is starting to owe me rather less. I load OSM maps to it directly. And carry a spare microUSB card with a backup copy of the files/maps. Update: I only turned on the GPS twice just to confirm it was all working. If it had rained more I might have used it more often. 

Plan D: I have a compass in my Suunto watch and there is the sun and most likely there is a great big sea on one side. This would be adequate to get back to a place to regroup.

Plan E: Sometimes you just need to ask! Especially if local weather conditions are difficult or dangerous.

Update: I did encounter one young guy walking the trail armed only with a compact German description. This is of very limited value and gives no mental overview of where the route goes. Crucially it was inadequate for both planning water and resupply. Of course it was completely useless once one was already off the described route. Foolish and potentially dangerous. I hope he managed somehow, but he was certainly making life difficult for no good reason. 

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