If you've ever reached the summit of, say Ben Nevis, on an
improbrably cloud-free day to be confronted with a sea of nameless
peaks, you'll understand just where Summit Maps are coming
from.
They're a series of three Munto Summit Identification Maps
designed to help you work out just what that row of five spikey peaks
with the funny square-topped one in the background actually are.
Made from 100 per-cent waterproof, synthetic paper which is
completely recyclable, just like, er, paper, the three-strong series
pops out ingeniously into a slightly larger than A4 map sheet showing
numbered Munros complete with an index so you can identify them.
There are even instructions on how to take a bearing from your
known position towards an unknown peak then transfer it onto the map
to nail the mountain's identity even if you're a navigational
duffer...
Of course you can do that with a conventional OS map, but the
Summit Map's 1:430,000 scale means that you can still pinpoint Munros
which will be miles off the edge of a conventional OS map sheet.
Folded up, the maps are about half the size of a Landranger making
them an easy pocket fit and the combination of compactness, tear
resistance and waterproofing, means they should last for ages. We love the way they fold and unfold as well, like some sort of origami-map hybrid.
All in all we reckon it's a brilliant idea and hats off to
inventor Gavin McCulloch who came up with the idea, presumably after
having had summit sand kicked in his face once too often by some
seasoned bagging veteran reeling off lists of peak names ad nauseum...
The maps cost £7.95 each, cover the 'Cairngorms',
'South East Highlands' and 'North and West Highlands' and be ordered
from www.summitmap.co.uk
where there's also a lot more information.
