HOW TO READ AN IGN HIKING MAP?
Hiking begins even before walking, as we find out the route on the map. A detailed reading of it will provide all the information on what walkers can expect, hence it is a useful and important tool.
WHY LEARN TO READ A MAP?
A map shows the terrain only on a horizontal plane, seen from the sky, minimised and schematised . It takes a little training to establish the relationship between the map and terrain. You can’t read it too quickly. Whether it's to prepare for a hike or to get a sense of direction, your map will always be there to help you, and unlike GPS and mobile phones, it won’t fail. Think of bringing a compass so you never miss the north direction.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT SCALE
For hiking, the ideal scale is 1/25 000; that is, 1 cm is equivalent to 250 m, or 4 cm for 1 km. It allows you to see every detail (streams, forests, trails ...) and to obtain a precise sense of location. These scales correspond to IGN Blue Series Maps and TOP25 maps. For those who hike in the rain, there are TOP25R maps ("R" for "Resistant"), waterproof, tear proof and printed double-sided to save space on your bag.
UNDERSTANDING THE COLOUR CODES
GOOD TO KNOW
You will see areas that are more or less darkened. Shaded areas on slopes or hillsides give the impression of a relief. By convention, theoretical light mapping is determined as if the sun illuminated the ground from the North West (with an average angle of 45°). This fact is not an element of orientation, it is simply a tool to facilitate the perception of a relief when reading the map.
USE THE FOUR INFORMATION LAYERS FOR A SENSE OF DIRECTION
IDENTIFY REMARKABLE POINTS
Details often make it possible to determine one's location in a very precise way.~
ORIENTING ONE'S MAP WITHOUT INSTRUMENTS
By convention, the north is located at the top of the map.~
To learn more about the art of mapping, do not hesitate to watch the videos developed by the IGN.
To be well-equipped: