Reading a map
What scale, map symbols and contour lines mean, and how to match the sheet of paper to what you see around you.
how to find your way: maps, compass and navigation
How to find your way
You don't have to be deep in the woods to lose your way. Taking the wrong exit from a station, turning onto an unfamiliar track in a country park or ending up in a strange neighbourhood with a flat phone battery is enough. This guide explains simple wayfinding techniques: how to read a map, how to hold a direction with a compass, how to prepare your phone and how to act calmly when the usual clues disappear. No special training is needed, and nothing depends on a particular device.
The best moment to notice a landmark is before you need it. Look back when you set off, and the way home will already feel familiar.
Where to start
Compass and bearings
How to find north with the needle, measure a direction in degrees and keep to it as you walk.
Phone navigation
Offline maps, battery life, your dot on the map and sharing your location with family or friends.
If you get lost
Why the first thing to do is stop, how to get in touch and when to call 112 or your local emergency number.
Guide sections
- Topics
Four groups of topics: the map, compass and cardinal directions, phone navigation, and safety on the way.
- Practical
A step-by-step map-and-compass route from point to point, plus a catalogue of practical articles.
- Questions
Short answers about scale, map symbols, bearings, satellite navigation and safety.
- Collections
Reading paths: your first walk with a map, orienteering with children, a city without a sat nav.
- Reference
An orienteering glossary: scale, contour lines, bearing, declination, satellite systems.
- New
A feed of new pages in the guide, with a note on what each one is useful for.
- Archive
Every page of the guide by publication date and topic.
Five steps before a walk somewhere unfamiliar
Tell someone your route
Message someone who is staying at home: where you are going, who with and which way. If your plans change along the way, send a quick update.
Download a map and charge your phone
Save a map of the area to your phone so it opens without a signal. Set off fully charged, and take a power bank if it is going to be a long walk.
Note landmarks at the start
Pick out obvious features near your starting point: a bus stop, a mast, a river, a road, a power line. They make it easier to get back and to explain where you are.
Set a turnaround time
Decide in advance what time you will head back, even if you haven't reached your goal. Tell your contact that time so they know when to start worrying.
Agree a plan for losing your bearings
If you stop recognising your surroundings, stop, recall the last place you knew and check your signal. Don't guess your way on; in danger, call 112 or your local emergency number.
About this guide
What does the site name mean?
The first part of the name is the Latin word via, meaning "way". That sets the theme: how to find your way and stay on it, whether in a city, a park or the countryside.
Do you sell GPS devices or compasses?
No. We sell nothing, do not advertise shops and do not recommend specific models or apps. This site offers only explanations and practical steps.
Can I rely on my phone alone?
A phone helps a lot, but batteries run down and signal drops out. Have a backup plan: a printed or paper map, a compass, an agreed return time and familiar landmarks.
What should I do if I'm lost?
Stop and stay calm; don't keep walking at random. Check your signal and tell someone where you last were and what you can see. If there is a threat to life or health, call 112 (in Russia and the EU) or your local emergency number.
About the project
This domain used to host unrelated advertising. The current guide has no connection with it, publishes nothing of the kind and does not restore the old pages. The name comes from the Latin via, "way", and describes what we do: explain how to find your way.
We write about orienteering for ordinary people: city dwellers, walkers, and parents taking their children to the woods or the park. We give specific figures only when they are verified — for example, how to convert a map scale or which number to dial in an emergency — and describe everything else in general terms.
What this page is based on
- Topographic maps and their symbols
- Guides to land navigation and orienteering
- EMERCOM of Russia — outdoor safety leaflets
Maps go out of date, trails get overgrown and rules for visiting natural areas change. Before you set out, check up-to-date information and follow any instructions on site. This guide covers general techniques and is no substitute for training and preparation for demanding routes.