Issue 16 February 2003
Garmin eTRAIL CD ROM (version 1). By Trail Magazine.Published by Emap Active Ltd. Price £39.99.Detailing 200 routes across the UK from Trail magazine. 2,200 miles of walks. 487 peaks. 500 colour photos. This CD ROM produced by Garmin, provides route details, a sketch map and the facility to upload a route of waypoints to your GPS. According to Garmin's advertising, Each route has a GPS version which you can save into your Garmin GPS so you can easily navigate your way. GPS users have been keying in waypoints from their maps for years now (either manually or by using mapping software), but this CD short-circuits the process so that the user does not have to identify key features from the map - the CD uploads the waypoints in a few seconds. I recently uploaded the Bidean nam Bian route to my GPS and attempted to follow it on the ground. I say attempted, because I would have needed wings to go to the waypoints which the CD had put into my GPS. Several waypoints were so far out as to be useless and potentially lethal. The map below shows five of the waypoints (black squares) that are completely in the wrong place and on loose and steep terrain. The arrowed line shows the normal route. At least two of the waypoints are 100 metres wrong. I had two separate GPS receivers with me at the time and they both gave the same readings. I have also uploaded the ETRAIL route to six separate receivers and the Grid References of the waypoints provided by ETRAIL were all identical - so these errors cannot be excused on the grounds of technical GPS issues. There's no need to take my word for it. The Grid References provided by ETRAIL of the five waypoints shown are NN 15040 54933; NN 14557 54185; NN14793 53999; NN 14972 53864 and NN 15089 53783. Anyone can look at a map and see that these points are clearly way off the mark and could be very misleading. In addition to these errors, the ETRAIL route doesn't even include the waypoint at the summit of Bidean nam Bian - it jumps from number 25 to 26 without including the summit waypoint in the route. I wondered whether anyone at GARMIN had actually walked the route, as I had done - surely they would have spotted the mistakes? Then I saw the comprehensive ETRAIL disclaimer which states that, One of the goals of Garmin is to provide customers with the most complete and accurate data that is available to us at a reasonable cost. Presumably it was not commercially viable to check the routes. However, even without setting foot on the route, it is clear from the map that the waypoints are very inaccurate. Anyone with a basic grasp of mountain navigation could have worked out the waypoints with a reasonable degree of accuracy. Garmin's disclaimer also states, Garmin makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the data in this product and disclaims any and all express, implied, or statutory warranties, including any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. It is the user's responsibility to use this product prudently. This product is intended to be used only as a travel aid and must not be used for any purpose requiring precise measurement of direction, distance, location or topography. I can't recommend this CD and, if you've got one, I suggest that you don't rely on it (unless you've also got the technology to fly).
Trail Magazine editor Ed Kenyon writes:
Laura Tomei, Manager of International Cartography, Garmin writes:
The Complete Guide to Rope Techniques
Published by Constable and Robinson, 2001. Paperback. |
This book brings together the contents of two previous volumes and claims to be the most comprehensive book on rope techniques (summer and winter) yet published. It covers all the very basic stuff such as coiling your rope, knots, belaying, lowering people on a rope, abseiling and improvising harnesses, to the much more advanced rope work of pulley systems, assisted hoists, crevasse rescue and tensioning ropes for tyroleans. The photos are generally clear although there are instances of some that are wrongly arranged. There are also numerous small errors such as an alpine clutch using screwgate karrabiners and a double ice-scew anchor not fixed with a clove hitch. Another confusion is a lack of structure to the book. I would have preferred to see information progress through the book linked to the level of expertise, i.e. starting with information required by the beginner, to finish on that for the experienced. I don't think it's helpful giving details of hoists, passing knots on abseil, and complicated 'getting out of the system' techniques early on, and include such basic stuff as sport climbing techniques near the back. This is a failing of bunching the two older volumes one after the other with additions at the end and is a lost opportunity to properly amalgamate the lot in a sensible way that would help the reader.
Describing 50 walks in the Valais West area of Arolla, Verbier and the Rhone Valley; that's the area just to the north and east of Chamonix. With cheap flights to Geneva and local rail and bus deals on offer (or the 'chunnel'), it would be a good destination even for a long weekend!
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