Route Cards Aims: Know what a route card is. Understand why we do - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Route Cards

Aims:

• Know what a route card is.
• Understand why we do them.
• What information needs to be put
• n them.

Route Cards

• The basic information should be

sufficiently detailed so that it is possible to walk without a map should the map become damaged by rain or lost en route.

What is the point?

• Your expedition has been planned
• You know how long different parts

should take – the time whole route takes – and therefore the time you’ll get in

• You have thought about emergencies

and checking in with team leaders

• You have a communication tool for the

team, leaders, emergency services, and wider

If a job is worth doing its worth doing well

• Route cards should be well presented

– It demonstrates

• Pride in what you do
• Good preparation
• An understanding and knowledge of the

challenge

• Consideration of what to do in an emergency
• Need to be able to read them in the pouring

rain and howling winds.

• They will be sent back if scrappy and illegible

What is a route card?

• A route card gives information about the

route you will be taking over the course of a day.

• This includes:

– Timings – Distance – Speed – Breaks – Checkpoints – Start/Finish (camping) points – Escape routes (emergency route)

A Route Card

Aim/Activity

• Landscape
• Conservation
• Land use
• Nature
• Local community
• Group dynamics

Some questions to help you decide what to do?

• 1) What would all the group find

interesting?

• 2) What sort of countryside are you

planning to walk through?

• 3) What features are there on your

planned route? There's no point in doing something about high mountain environments if your route goes through low-level forest and farmland.

Activity Plan

Information that's needed

• Its ALL important
• Days and dates need to be right!
• Full names
• Aim - why?
• Timings of legs are built up by YOU!
• Checkpoint names as well as Grid Refs!
• Totals at the bottom sbalance across
• Including route details & escape routes

show you've planned things and help leaders track you

How to start

• Choose the area you are going to walk in.
• Use an UP TO DATE 1:25,000 Map
• Decide distance – based on your aim
• usually. (Activity time – 6hrs)
• Can be useful to use a length of string to

roughly plan your route first of all, also considering your aim, skill level, and climbs

• Mark it on your map with a china craft pencil
• Check it with a Leader
• Prepare your route card

Checkpoints and Campsites

• Use designated campsites at Bronze or land with the
• wners permission (toilet/washing facilities?)
• Assessed Expedition has to be in an unknown area
• Checkpoints should be a clearly identified point on

the ground such as: road/river junction, hill summit, building (vehicle access when you need water?)

• a checkpoint also provides a valuable check as to

how you're doing time wise

• ahead of time? you will have to wait there until you

get back onto the time stated on your route card.

• if you're late your assessor/supervisor might be

stuck there for several hours

• SO, plan accurately!

General Direction or Bearing

• Bearings are used in wild/open country that

you can walk straight across without worrying about footpaths/bridleways

• Sometimes useful in your route detail, if you

have to choose a track from several that seem to go in the same direction

• If you’re using footpaths and bridleways

then its more sensible to use a 16 point cardinal compass

THE COMPASS DIRECTIONS YOU CAN USE

Distances

• should be to the nearest 0.1km
• do not try and "fudge" your distances
• total distances are usually (and easily)

checked from the map

• Inaccurate distances will mean an

inaccurate route card – so you’ll either be hanging around waiting or constantly late and doing too much

Calculating walking times

• Calculate for the slowest walker
• 4k per hour is not unreasonable if you are fit

and have good map skills. – i.e. It will take 15minutes to walk 1K, 30mins to do 2K – So, 6k = ?, 3.5 = ?

• If heavily laden or hesitant, 3 km in 1hr

– i.e. 4.5K = 90min; 6K = 120mins – 2.1K = ?

• ALWAYS write your leg timings in minutes

Height Gain – and using Naismith’s Rule

• You are expected to take into account

any climbs as it will probably take longer! For every 10m climbed allow an extra 1 minute.

• Count the contour lines crossed going

uphill

• Adding time for going down isn't done

for local countryside

Time for exploring, rests etc

• the group should start walking at a

realistic time each morning and arrive at their campsite at a reasonable time. Time must be allowed for stops, lunch etc.

• its usually works out about an average of

10minutes per hour

• try to use break time to “round up” total

time – makes it easier to do ETD

Route Details

• Brief and clear, not long and
• complicated. Make sure you identify the

route you are taking so that people know where to look for you if you don’t arrive.

• Gradient? Woods? Open? Buildings?

Fenceline? Track?

• Could use to find the way without a

map

REMEMBER - TAKE CARE WITH ROUTE CARDS AND EXPEDITION PREPARATION LIVES MAY DEPEND ON THEM

YOUR TASK

• Work in pairs
• In Coffee Bar, S Hall, Yellow room
• Pencil, map, partially completed route

card, compass or romer

• NAME your route card with your two

names

• Complete your route card