Route card
Encyclopedia
A route card is a document that is used by hillwalkers as an aid to navigation
and route planning. The military also use a similar technique for planning night marches and/or patrol
s.
, knoll
, saddle, stream
junction and so on. In most cases the legs are defined as being the longest section that might be safely followed on a single compass
bearing. The object is to split the overall route into sections that can be readily undertaken in conditions of poor visibility such as in cloud
, fog
or at night.
In addition to the compass bearing, for each leg the total distance will be measured as well as the height gained or lost and the steepness of the ground. Using this information an estimated time to complete the leg will be calculated usually using Naismith's Rule
or one of its variations. These times are then added to estimate the total time needed for the expedition.
For each leg note may also be taken of potential sources of danger along the route such as cliff
s or of handrail/collecting features to aid in confirming the route.
A copy of the route card is then left with a responsible person so as to assist the emergency services in the event that the group should suffer a mishap. This also avoids groups being reported as missing prematurely or without due cause.
s each lead a section of the route.
It is very simply a route card just showing the legs or stages of the route. Some commanders have a full detailed route card as well as the moon route card when doing night navigation.
The two reasons for this is that you can pull the Moon card out on the march and hold it up to the moon light to check the bearing or grid reference of the next leg, and to stop you getting out your torch and giving your position away.
This is a very simple tool to create the moon card place a sheet of acetate into the printer to print the below Template in external links . Now place the acetate into a laminator (as this will protect the ink from weather and rubbing) after you have laminated the sheet cut it in half. You now have created two moon cards.
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
and route planning. The military also use a similar technique for planning night marches and/or patrol
Patrol
A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as police officers or soldiers, that are assigned to monitor a specific geographic area.- Military :...
s.
Core information: The planned route
The planned route is broken down into discrete sections termed "legs" or "stages". Whenever possible, each leg will start and finish at a clearly defined topographical feature such as a lakeLake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
, knoll
Hillock
A hillock or knoll is a small hill, usually separated from a larger group of hills such as a range. Hillocks are similar in their distribution and size to small mesas or buttes. The term is largely a British one...
, saddle, stream
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
junction and so on. In most cases the legs are defined as being the longest section that might be safely followed on a single compass
Compass
A compass is a navigational instrument that shows directions in a frame of reference that is stationary relative to the surface of the earth. The frame of reference defines the four cardinal directions – north, south, east, and west. Intermediate directions are also defined...
bearing. The object is to split the overall route into sections that can be readily undertaken in conditions of poor visibility such as in cloud
Cloud
A cloud is a visible mass of liquid droplets or frozen crystals made of water and/or various chemicals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of a planetary body. They are also known as aerosols. Clouds in Earth's atmosphere are studied in the cloud physics branch of meteorology...
, fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
or at night.
In addition to the compass bearing, for each leg the total distance will be measured as well as the height gained or lost and the steepness of the ground. Using this information an estimated time to complete the leg will be calculated usually using Naismith's Rule
Naismith's Rule
Naismith's Rule is a rule of thumb that helps in the planning of a walking or hiking expedition by calculating how long it will take to walk the route, including ascents. The rule was devised by William W. Naismith, a Scottish mountaineer, in 1892...
or one of its variations. These times are then added to estimate the total time needed for the expedition.
For each leg note may also be taken of potential sources of danger along the route such as cliff
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
s or of handrail/collecting features to aid in confirming the route.
Additional information
For formal expeditions or excursions the leader may include the following information.- composition of the party with the names of the members, car registration numbers.
- actual start time and date.
- estimated time and date of arrival at finish.
- mobile telephoneTelephoneThe telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
number and/or radioRadioRadio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
frequencies in use - notes regarding special equipment carried, tentTentA tent is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over or attached to a frame of poles or attached to a supporting rope. While smaller tents may be free-standing or attached to the ground, large tents are usually anchored using guy ropes tied to stakes or tent pegs...
s, emergency shelters, food etc.
A copy of the route card is then left with a responsible person so as to assist the emergency services in the event that the group should suffer a mishap. This also avoids groups being reported as missing prematurely or without due cause.
Use of route cards
In typical use, the route card will not be followed exactly by the party leader but is used as a backup if conditions deteriorate. When following legs on a compass bearing, the estimated time is not usually used as a precise indicator of when the leg is over but as a kind of fail-safe to stop the group from overshooting the actual objective and getting lost. If a precise estimate is needed, pace-counting may be used instead if terrain permits. Nowadays, it is typical to enter the co-ordinates from the route card into a handheld GPS unit and use this in conjunction with a compass if conditions deteriorate. In some cases, each member of the expedition may memorise a section of the route and have their own compass preset to the relevant bearing. This is a particular technique for military night patrols where the soldierSoldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
s each lead a section of the route.
Use of Moon route cards
Military use these to assist a planned route for night navigation same as a Route Card.It is very simply a route card just showing the legs or stages of the route. Some commanders have a full detailed route card as well as the moon route card when doing night navigation.
The two reasons for this is that you can pull the Moon card out on the march and hold it up to the moon light to check the bearing or grid reference of the next leg, and to stop you getting out your torch and giving your position away.
This is a very simple tool to create the moon card place a sheet of acetate into the printer to print the below Template in external links . Now place the acetate into a laminator (as this will protect the ink from weather and rubbing) after you have laminated the sheet cut it in half. You now have created two moon cards.