Maps and GPS

Maps & GPS

France :

IGN (Institut Geographique National) is the national mapping organisation. Main scales are 1:100,000 and 1:25,000, with some special series (eg Pyrenees) at 1:50,000. The modern 1:25,000 maps are ideal walking companions and are GPS-compatible. The 1:100,000 series is good for giving a district overview.

Set your GPS to ‘UTM UPS’ to provide grid references matching the kilometre grid on the maps. IGN 1:25,000 maps for popular walking areas are widely available at map shops and walking shops in UK.

Irish Republic :

OSI (Ordnance Survey Ireland) publish the Discovery series of 1:50,000 maps for the whole country and some special 1:25,000 maps (currently only Aran Islands and Killarney). Set your GPS to ‘Irish Grid’ to provide grid references matching the kilometre grid on the maps. OSI maps for popular walking areas are widely available at map shops and walking shops in UK.

Italy – Sicily :

There are few good walking maps of Sicily generally, but Mount Etna is covered by three maps, available locally. 1:50,000 Parco dell’ Etna published by Touring Club Italiano covers the area of the national park.

This has a grid, but without any GPS-compliant references.

1:25,000 Mt Etna ‘carta escursionistica altomontana / touristic-high mountain map’ and 1:60,000 Mt Etna ‘carta naturalistica e turistica / naturalistic and touristic map’ are both published by SELCA of Florence in collaboration with Club Alpino Italiano.

The former has an un-numbered grid, the latter no grid; both have occasional latitude/longitude values (but not adequate for GPS use).

SELCA currently has no web site but has e-mail address : selca@selca-cartografie.it

Publications are available from the national park Parco dell’ Etna

Latvia :

Jana Seta publishes sheets at all scales suitable for exploring the county, regions and towns. You can buy them at the Jana Seta shop in Riga or via the website. Set your GPS to Latitude/Longitude format and WGS84 datum to provide positions matching the ten minute grid on the 1:100,000 maps. Some may be available in specialist UK shops.

Romania :

Dimap of Hungary produce and sell good walking maps of Romania, including the 1:70,000 ‘Piatra Craiulu, Bucegi, Postavarul, Piatra Mare, Ciucas’ sub-titled Five Mountains from the Carpathians Bend. A map of the Bucegi massif created by Octavian Arsene of the Ministry of Tourism is available in several versions, scaled to 1:53,000 or 1:40,000 from various Romanian publishers, each having different information on the reverse. The Bel Alpin edition has the descriptions of the waymarked trails in English. Neither map is GPS compatible and both may be obtained through specialist shops in UK.

Slovakia :

VKU publishes excellent maps at 1:50,000 and 1:25,000 for popular walking areas, with all walking routes colour-coded in accordance with the waymarking. Set your GPS to Latitude/Longitude format and WGS84 datum to provide positions matching the one minute grid on the maps. These maps are sold at shops in the area and may be available in specialist UK shops.

Slovenia :

Maps of the Julian Alps at 1:50,000 and 1:25,000 are produced by Geodetski Institut Slovenjie and published by Planinska Zveza Slovenije (Alpine Association of Slovenia). Set your GPS to Latitude/Longitude format and WGS84 datum to provide positions matching the five minute grid on the 1:50,000 maps. These maps are sold at shops in the area and may be available in specialist UK shops.

Spain :

Editorial Alpina produces maps for walking areas at 1:25,000 and 1:40,000 scales. Set your GPS to ‘UTM UPS’ to provide grid references matching the 5 km grid on the maps. These are available from map shops and walking shops in UK.

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