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01 March 2010

Digital Mapping

Chally Day 2 Aerial View

(You can click on the image above to make it bigger. Go on, you know you want to...)

A little while ago I showed our planned route for the second day of our 2010 TGO Challenge walk. Now, there are members of our congregation who are not particularly beardy walkery types and so, just for them, (ahem!) the above image helps to visualise the day's walk. You can see our start point (if you squint carefully) at the top left - Oban bothy - and our finishing point down in Glen Pean. You probably will need to click on the image to see this! Oh - but it is worth it! Go on - Click on it!

Digital mapping can be a powerful tool. It does ram home what you are about to take on. With those great big rucksacks full of food and tents and stoves and pots and pans and sleeping bags etc etc...Ooh dear!

17 comments:

  1. I wish................


    (aaagh! - inglimen)

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  2. Alan,I'm rather concerned for you and Phil. This looks rather hilly and not a leisurely route full of places that take beer tokens.

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  3. Laura: "Ingliman" eh? Only the Inglimen would take this route as most of the Scotlimen would have more sense and whizz along Glen Pean to be that much closer to the Tomdoun Hotel and all that beer. Beer.....mmmmmmmmmmmm...

    Darren: The beer tokens are already booked by Lord Elpus for the end of the next (longish) day at the Tomdoun. Along with their fine Top Shelf of course.

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  4. What are all those brown squiggly things?


    Figoni (Is that some kind of pasta?)

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  5. Lot of up and down - more than climbing Ben Nevis.

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  6. Mike: Giuseppe Figoni was one half of Figoni et Falaschi - a most remarkable French car stylist business in the 30's and 40's. They made beautiful cars. Surprised you didn't know that... This is an educational blog, you know...

    Bob: You and Mike have picked up on the weakness in our plans then... Phil & I usually travel along those brown squiggly lines, not across them.

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  7. Oo er. Ours'll be a little flatter. (Still got those fingers crossed!)
    word: hotfor
    I say!

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  8. The things we do to get a phone signal. Well I just hope your blog readers appreciate it.

    Lord Elpus

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  9. Hope you have a FWA, or is it AN FWA? Up North last week and snow looked omminus! Even considering my FWA in case the burns are flooded!

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  10. Looks a cracking day Alan. Not a route i have done but i fancy doing it sooner rather than later.
    The mapping looks good, what software is it?

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  11. Louise: "hotfor Now you are just making these up! Flat routes are good, but hilly ones reduce the belly - I think that's what Phil said when we discussed this route choice...

    Phil: There should indeed be a good phone signal - we could place our orders for our arrival at the Tomdoun?

    Jack: (Wotcha sunshine!) There will be wall to wall sunshine up there between now and the 'off'. The problem will be lack of drinking water. Maybe...

    Alan: It's Anquet - but don't go mad and rush out to buy it because I think it's rubbish - really difficult to use. Memory Map is better (so I am told) but very soon all O.S. data will be free so perhaps a better solution would be to use Grough Routes. I am not sure if they do the 3D views though.

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  12. Hi Alan,
    why do you find Anquet rubbish and difficult to use ? I have no troubles using Anquet.
    Mind you, I prefer the 'old' version instead of v.06.

    Gesperi = the in-laws of Guiseppe Figoni

    Theo
    www.theosphotos.fotopic.net

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  13. Hi Theo

    Like you - I was brought up with the original version which was a lot easier to use; you could make paths turn into routes etc. To cap it all, when I installed the latest version it was riddled with bugs that took absolutely ages to sort out, with an incredibly unhelpful Anquet Company as 'support'. The truth was that they didn't give a damn - they had my money and offered very little help.

    It was only when I threatened to go down to their offices and actually sit on their desks until I got proper support for their dismal product and 'support service' that they finally got off their backsides and helped - albeit very grudgingly.

    I would Never Ever Ever promote their dismal business. Not, Not Ever, Even...

    Bitter? Moi?

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  14. Thanks Alan. Sorry, didn't want to open up old wounds or a hornets nest.
    It was just the 1st time i had seen a 3d map with that much detail so thought i would ask. Thanks

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  15. No worries Alan!
    :-)
    I think you will find that most mapping software licensees of O.S. mapping have 3D viewing capabilities with this detail.

    Just go with the company that do it for very little money and with a decent customer support back-office!

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  16. "Memory Map is better (so I am told)...

    So sending that package a while ago was a waste of time then?.

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  17. Hello there Geoff!

    At the time I fell victim to a sudden influx of the nasty W four letter word and then when I went back to install said package a few months later it just would not install properly - try as I might it would not work for me! I put it down to my complete lack of technological competence and the total inability to understand what appeared to be clear instructions.

    I shall have another go when i get some time! Thanks, fella!

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