Walking and Climbing

They say its because there is iron ore in the rocks,But some say that is bo**ocks....

No.

I have experienced a similar effect elsewhere - but it is very localised (walk a few meters away and the compass rectifies itself) and, in any case, the effect is no more than a few degrees.

I read somewhere that greenup edge had a simlar compass error so when I got lost in the clag up there I convinced myself it was the compass that was out due to the metal fence posts up there (most of which are buried just below the surface). The truth in fact was that I was an incompetant navigator in complete cloud where visibility was very low.

There are some well known places such as the Black Cuillins but a lot of the other places that by reputation has compass effects could just be some user error. It is very easy to get confused ion the cloud and poor visibility and people (myself included) take what little visual clues they see and interpret them incorrectly. However, if the OP sees the needle moving around or some other effect near a rock or a particular spot then I would accept there is a compass issue. I have seen this in a closely defined area, however I've yet to see this in a larger area like the Black Cuillins are supposed to be like. I am not disputing your observations on the Crinkles but I have never seen that effect up there and it used to be one of my 4 or 5 times a year routes so I've been up there a lot. Mind you I doubt I will see the effect up there as I never need my map or compass I know the route over them so well. One of those places I can picture almost every rock you pass by in my mind's eye.

I've seen the  compass needle swing on the Cuillin, although to be honest navigation up there is more a case of route finding.  If you are not on the ridge, you've probably fallen off it!!

Steve D

Robri wrote (see)

last week in thick mist coming off the main Crinkle my compass took me off in wrong direction - has anyone else experienced this?

Full Moon Addict wrote (see)

i have experienced a faulty compass on the crinkle crags, so its nice to hear someone else has too.  it wasn't just a few degrees either.  I'd thought it was a bubble in the compass, but maybe not.

All I know is that I have followed a bearing and ended off being out by some way. Sorry if its stating the obvious but the old grid to mag add and mag to grid get rid thing currently at about 3 degrees? Can't remember right now (always remember on the hill just not without map and compass to hand). Not saying that is one reason why you were out but could be part of it IF you were not paying attention and forgot it.

Also, without something to actually sight on it is rather hard to follow a bearing accurately I think just by watching the needle and walking. You always veer a round a bit. Depending on how far out this could also be a factor.

I also know of someone who (despite being very, very experienced) fell through a cornice on a wide, flat plateau type of hill in Scotland. The group deliberately walked on the side away from the steep clope and crag on it but in the cloud walked to a bearing. After some time the ground opened up and they were through a cornice.The reason was simple, they didn't allow for the wind blowing them off course by quite some way.

All these are small factors and simple things to correct but are all capable of resulting in walking a bearing and ending up in the wrong place. It doesn't take much over some distance to be way off your desired location.

However I have no idea why FMA's compass was behaving erratically. However when I got temporarily, locationally displaced (lost) while using my compass (that I was convinced was wrong) I replaced the compass. I did check it against the old compass and they both pointed in the same direction. However on a recent walk my newer compass did move around on Tarn Crag area. It pointed about 3 or 4 degrees off but would then point back the right way. I compared it to the old one that I thought had gone wrong and that was pointing in the direction the other one settled to so I assumed that to be right. I just needed to allow it to settle properly. Not good while moving.

Since that time I got another type 4 silva (second one, I've used a 7nl and another one I can't remember the code of). This pointed to the same direction as the other two in my house.

All I can say is some compasses can behave funny from time to time. Although I'd say something is externally acting to make it so. This can be rocks like in the Black Cuillins or a mobile phone in your pack. I put it down to my new smart phone and my old work phone both being on in my pack. Although I just can't be sure. I still got a new compass anyway to be sure. You do need faith in yoru compass I think.

I have noticed it over a small area of crinkle crags too.

Haven't been there for ages - must visit it again.

It was only a pretty small area, If I remember correctly just near one little hillock really. It was about 15-years ago so my memory mightn't bee too accurate -except we did comment on it at the time.

Ah...LiL has prompted a memory from when I did my ML training.  One of the other trainees was having all sorts of issues getting and keeping a bearing - his compass was doing all sorts of funny things (to the point we all - 6 of us including the instructor gathered round and compared compasses).  It wasnt until the instructor suddenly said...everyone, roll your sleeves up, we found the offending compass was being held in a hand attached to an arm which had a HUGE metal watch...and about ten metal bangles - dont ask, we didnt - on it.  When we swapped compasses...the bad one became good and the good one became bad.

I have since been advised to always hold ones compass away from a jacket (zip) when in use

I've only been up the Crinkles once.  Good weather going up Pike O' Blisco, then onto the Crags. It started drizzling as we were climbing up bad step, soon after there was a thunderstorm (very eerie yet beuatiful at the same time) and it absolutely pissed down.

Thing is, even with the rain coming at you sideways I don't see how you could get lost really, the path is pretty clear.

GrumpyOldMan wrote (see)

.........everyone, roll your sleeves up, we found the offending compass was being held in a hand attached to an arm which had a HUGE metal watch...and about ten metal bangles - dont ask, we didnt - on it.  When we swapped compasses...the bad one became good and the good one became bad.

.....

I had a similar experience on my Advanced Sea Profficiency (Sea Kayak),  Paddling between Jersey and Sark,  I was navigating the first leg and noticed everyone else was 10deg off.

After discussing with one of the other candidates what bearing he was on I suddenly remembered where I had packed my huge 6cell torch - right up against the front bulkhead, about 6" from my compass - oops!

Fortunately the deviation was consistant on the bearings we were using and I was able to mentally compensate for the error without the assessor noticing.

Steve D

Terra Nova wrote (see)

"However I have no idea why FMA's compass was behaving erratically.... All I can say is some compasses can behave funny from time to time...." Please please forgive me but compasses do not have personalities.... Trust your compass... 3 or 4 degrees is only serious if you are Frank Worsley navigating the James Caird (a rowing boat) across the Southern Ocean from Elephant Island to South Georgia across 800 miles of the stormiest ocean when 28 lives of your comrades are at risk at the onset of the antarctic winter and there is just you, your 5 mates, and 4 glimpses of the sun in a 17 day stretch across a bouncy featureless terrain of water.... You are probably more competent than you give yourselves credit for....