Nothing will replace a map, compass and the knowledge to use these tools when on a mountain.
Our local hills can be a dangerous place when the weather closes in, which can happen at any time of the year, and ill-prepared walkers are often caught out. There is an App available that can, at the very least, help the rescue team to find you more quickly in the worst case scenario. It makes their job an awful lot easier.
Mountain Safety – Help Us To Help You
Mountain Rescue Teams across the UK make use of the latest technology with the aim of pinpointing lost walkers. While they have the ability to locate smart phones with bespoke SARLOC software, this technology does rely on the availability of a data signal which, as we all know, can be unreliable in the hills and mountains of Scotland.
Therefore, in a call to all hillwalkers and mountaineers, we have decided to ask you to help us! If you own a smart phone we would like to ask you to consider installing the ‘free’ Ordnance Survey app OS LOCATE onto your Apple or Android phone. This simple app provides an accurate, easily readable UK Grid Reference that you can then provide to the emergency operator, should you ever have to call on the services of Mountain Rescue. Think of it as an additional tool to assist us in locating those who call for our assistance.
At the very least, it could mean the difference between a brief spell on the hill or a cold, long wait as search teams methodically sweep mountain and glen for you.
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For further information, please refer to:
www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop/os-locate
According to OS LOCATE the app converts GPS location readings from your mobile phone to Ordnance Survey National Grid references, enabling you to determine precisely where you are on an Ordnance Survey map. OS Locate does not require a mobile signal to function – the inbuilt GPS system can be relied upon, even in the most remote areas.
Further hill safety advice, from Scottish Mountain Rescue, can be downloaded from the Lomond Mountain Rescue website.
