"Man over machine" reminder in Cairngorms
Fears that machines are taking over from man on the mountains have prompted a warning from experts.
Hill-goers are being advised by mountain safety specialists not to place too much reliance in their "global positioning system" and other electronic navigation tools, particularly in these brutal winter conditions.
Heather Morning, mountain safety adviser for the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, said: "In cold conditions battery life is significantly reduced and, unless batteries can be replaced, or alternative navigation tools are available, people can be left with no means of finding out where they are.
"And small buttons and touch-screen devices can be impossible to operate with gloves on or to operate with fingers which are numbed with cold if gloves are taken off.
"Ability to use the devices properly has also been a problem. Calls to the mountain rescue have even been made where the caller was able to give a 10 figure grid reference from their GPS, which is accurate to one square metre, but was unable to use the unit to navigate safely off the hill."
Ms Morning reminded hill-goers that navigation could be challenging especially where snow was likely to bury important reference points, such as burns.
"There’s a temptation to think that splashing out lots of money on an electronic gadget is going to solve all your navigation and safety concerns. But recent trends with mountain rescue call-outs suggest the opposite."
She advised a checklist of precautions for those using navigation devices:
Ensure that you practice with your GPS/Smart Phone mapping system and learn how to use it in a safe environment
Remember that battery life will be very limited, particularly in the cold - all electronic devices stand the risk of malfunction.
Always ensure that you also carry a map and compass and, crucially, that you have the knowledge and skills to use them
It is easy to become lazy and rely on technology and loose the edge on your map and compass skills
Your compass should be stored (and used) well away from any electronic devices - metal/magnets have the capacity to influence your compass reading either temporarily or permanently.
