Quiet Around Here

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Originally Posted by Travs

:D

I've never bothered with magnetic variation ever.... even on the LDMT (i hope Ian Winterburn is not reading this!)

I'm obviously no navigational expert, but i've always thought being able to interpret themap and keep track of where on it you are, are main skills to learn. Then taking a bearing, using handrails, aiming off, all in the next lot to be learned. Finally, using slope-angle to relocate yourself.

Experts like ba-ba will no doubt read the above in a state of shock... but i think that lot gives the skills to look after yourself 95% of the time.

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The above pretty much describes me. Additionally I'm not sure that I am capable of running across, say a km of rough ground, to the accuracy of a degree. That's where aiming off comes in useful.

The theory of magnetic variation is interesting to know though.

In the late 70's and 80's when I used to, had to, do a lot of navigation in the hills the Magnetic Variation was around 6 degrees.

If you ignored it then, you could get yourself in a whole load of bother. But like you say Travs, other skills are also important and nowadays unless micro navigating MV is probably largely ignored.

Here are some navigation hints or maybe not from wayback when the forum had a sense of direction.

https://forum.fellrunner.org.uk/show...ght=navigation.

Loads more here :-

https://forum.fellrunner.org.uk/sear...earchid=513249


A lot of names there that are certainly missed on the current forum

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Originally Posted by Llani Boy

In the late 70's and 80's when I used to, had to, do a lot of navigation in the hills the Magnetic Variation was around 6 degrees.

If you ignored it then, you could get yourself in a whole load of bother. But like you say Travs, other skills are also important and nowadays unless micro navigating MV is probably largely ignored.

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It had never occurred to me to blame my navigational blunders on 6 degrees of magnetic variation. I had always imagined they were due to stupidity.

Never bothered with magnetic variation in UK, till I went to New Zealand. It currently stands at 23 degrees (this is not a typo, it really is 23). It was doing my head in then, as I was so aware that one mistake could send me to the wrong mountain range,never mind missing a trig by a few yards.

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Originally Posted by BritNick

A degree? I only ever worked to N-S-E-W and the four bisections between them. On orienteering races when in headless chicken floundering mode with brain even more cabbage-like than usual, my chosen heading could just as easily be 180 degrees out. Accuracy to within a degree is an abstract concept in my case (cue Noel with a suggestion for a gastronomic delight involving chicken, flounders and now cabbages ;)).

Oh, and compass bubbles? I suffered the same problem more than once. Perhaps I wear them out, or could it be osmosis? Are flounders salty like capers? If not, it must just be the salty sweat from my heaving, struggling carcass.

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Yeaaaah. Like it. You get 5 STAR humour points there Britty :) Keep 'em coming.

And no, rest assured, I don't think you're trying to diss ALL fish or marine life as trying to undermine our navigation aids :D

We had capers in our sauce tonight, along with chives, tarragon and gherkins, ( I call it Sauce Tata) went lovely with our allotment veg and salmon. We navigated it perfectly.
I got so lost in a race once that I brought a new compass - It didn't help: A bad workman blames his tools..

6hrs in to my first LDMT, i was so fatigued that i couldn't operate the compass... was absolutely convinced the needle was pointing south. It was so vivid that i got the compass out again the next day to check it.

Amazing what tiredness can do to your ability to operate.

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Originally Posted by Travs

6hrs in to my first LDMT, i was so fatigued that i couldn't operate the compass... was absolutely convinced the needle was pointing south. It was so vivid that i got the compass out again the next day to check it.

Amazing what tiredness can do to your ability to operate.

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Surprising how easy it is to convince oneself the compass is wrong, when tired. I want to go this way, I know I must go this way, the compass is wrong telling me I must go that way.
Blame resulting c***k up on magnetic rocks, damn things are hiding all over the country waiting to pounce.

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Originally Posted by molehill

Surprising how easy it is to convince oneself the compass is wrong, when tired. I want to go this way, I know I must go this way, the compass is wrong telling me I must go that way.
Blame resulting c***k up on magnetic rocks, damn things are hiding all over the country waiting to pounce.

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I first came to know Ilkley in 1963 and have actually lived in Ilkley for over 10 years.

One night on its moor, cold, wet, miserable, I was dutifully following my compass south to get home and then, having wondered why Ilkley had not appeared, remembered that Ilkley actually lies north of its moor - and has done since Roman times.:)