Estimating Journey Time

When you are reading the scale of a map to determine the length of a route, remember that the distance given will be as on a flat surface, and will not take topography into account. Any estimation of the time it will take to walk a route must include allowance for time lost when climbing hills.

Also, time can usually be gained when making a descent, although steep descents are likely to slow you down. A useful yardstick for estimating journey time is naismith’s rule, which takes account of both distance ant topography. Naismith suggests that you should allow 60 minutes for every 5 km (3 miles) travelled according to the map, adding 30 minutes to that total for every 300m (985 ft) of height that you lose, but for very steep slopes add 10 minutes for every 300m (985 ft) of height that you lose.