Hiking with GPS on your smartphone

These instructions are designed for Android devices, if you have an iPhone you will have to use one of the other apps.

• Download Locus Maps from the Android

• Open the App

• Click the 'hamburger' (three horizontal lines in the bottom left), slide the menu up.

• Click 'go premium' and sign up for the gold plan.

• Click on the 'hamburger' menu

• Click on 'map manager'

• Click on the 'offline' tab at the top

• Click the '+' icon and then select 'download offline maps'

• Click 'LoMaps'

• Then select the region you wish to hike in e.g. 'Wales', the click 'Download', also where it says 'elevation data', click 'download for offline use'

• Once downloaded, go back to the main screen, press the hamburger, press 'map manager', press the 'offline' tab at the top, and select your region e.g. 'Wales'.

• You now have the offline map set up on your phone.

• Optional OS maps: I also like to have OS maps as a secondary map layer, to download the Snowdonia area OS maps,  repeat the steps from above, but instead of clicking 'LoMaps', scroll right on the product lines until you get to Ordnance Survey, click this, then click 'Wales', then select 'Yr Wyddfa/Snowdon'. This will cost an additional £3.60 but give you OS maps for Northern Snowdonia (including Conwy).

There are several advanced features I think improves the navigation experience, turn these on:

• Press the hamburger, swipe down to the settings at the bottom, click 'settings'.

• Click 'maps', then click 'auxiliary graphics'

Turn on: ​

• Dynamic elevation (shows the elevation at the position of the cursor on the map)

• Cursor to position line (shows the straight line distance from you to the cursor - good for estimating distances on the fly or identifying navigational landmarks. 

• Heading line (shows you where the heading that your phone is currently pointing in, very useful for finding paths off summits and spotting landmarks. As a side note, to calibrate your phones internal compass, open google maps and do a figure of 8 motion (see here for details)) - I do this at the beginning of each walk. This requires your phone to have a compass which most modern smartphones do.

To get a route onto your device, you need to download the GPX file. The easiest way to do this is to:

• Open 'ConwyWalkAndRun.com' on your smartphone and find your desired route

• Click the 'Download GPX/GPS button', you may need to press it twice.

• Click 'open', your phone will give you a selection of possible apps to open it with.

• Click Locus maps, press 'import'. 

• Congratulations! You have the route on your smartphone.

There are different ways of using the navigational features. I strongly recommend using 'guidance' rather than 'navigation'. Navigation tends to show you where you should be, rather than where you are.

• Click on your route on the map, 'select the route', then click the little 'right turn' icon at the bottom. Then click the 'guidance button' (if you want to do it backwards, press 'guide reversely'.

• You can now follow your route!

• To exit guidance at the end, click the box in the top right corner below the clock which features an icon showing two arrows pointing at at a circle, then click 'guide off'.

• To record your walk, simply click the hamburger icon, the 'track recording' and then the play button and then stop it at the end.

• Please see the Understanding Locus Maps Example page for hints on understanding the map.

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Whilst I've created various routes for you to try, you may want to make up your own - we are so spoilt for choice. Also if you visit elsewhere you may want to create a route. This is best done on a computer.

• Go to 'plotaroute.com'

• Press 'Create' at the top and then plot your route. Tips: use the 'auto plot' set to 'foot' for automatically following footpaths. Occasionally there will be sections where it doesn't work e.g. path that exists isn't fully marked on the map. In this instance, temporarily turn autoplot off, and do this section manually, before turning it back on when you re-join the marked path. 

• Once happy, save your route.

• To get it onto your device, press 'download', then email the downloaded attachment to yourself, open it on your smartphone as in Step 4 and import the route onto your phone.  

As mentioned at the start, it is necessary for GPS smartphones to be used properly to stay safe. Here are some common reasons people get into trouble relying on smartphones and how to avoid them.

• Problem: battery runs out/phone breaks. Solution: Take a spare phone and power pack. A waterproof case in bad weather if your phone is not waterproof. Turn bluetooth and mobile data off to improve battery usage. You can even turn GPS off until you want to check where you are (personally I'd just buy a phone with a bigger battery so this never happens). Take a physical map and compass too as back up.

• Problem: An inability to read maps. Whether you use a paper map or a smartphone map, you need to be able to read maps. Solution: Practice map reading, understand contour lines, the different features on a map, see the example map here, there are also loads of online resources to find out more. Practice on familiar walks until you gain confidence in your map reading ability.

• Problem: Bad route choice. If you are not familiar with an area and you choose a route based solely on looking at paths on a map you may get yourself into trouble, there may be exposure or scrambles beyond your ability. Solution: Research your route thoroughly, use curated sites such as Conwy Walk and Run, and Mud and Routes to identify possible routes and then research potential hazards. 

• Problem: Underestimating the challenge. Walking in Snowdonia can be incredibly tough. For example, an 8 mile route up Elidir Fawr, Foel Goch and Y Garn is far more physiologically challenging than a 15 mile route in the Cotswolds. Not only due to the huge ascent, but also the terrain (rocky/slippy/exposed) and the elements (wind/rain). Solution: Always err on side of caution and build up to the high mountains.

• Problem: Continuation bias - people always want to continue with their plans despite other circumstances changing. Solution: Don't hesitate to turn back if circumstances change. If the rain rolls in, or the wind picks up on a ridge route, or you're not feeling well, turn back and take the safe route back. Don't just plough on because you want to stick to your original plan! Always have a 'bug out' route in mind to get off the mountains ASAP if you need to.

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