Are we there yet?

You will often want to know how long it will take to get to a specific location. This can help find your next navigational point, such as a how long to walk until there is a junction on a path. It can also help settle the nagging “are we there yet?”!

Converting Distance to Time

You already know how to find out the distance to a point on your map. To convert this to time, you will need to know your speed. Normally this will be about 3km per hour when walking on flat ground. This means that if you were going to walk 1km, it will take you 20 minute.

You will notice that to work out that time, the distance to travel was divided by your speed. i.e. 1km/3kmh = 1/3 hours = 20 minutes.

Uphill Slogs

If you are walking up a slope, the time to travel between two points will be more. The reason for this is that you have to walk an extra distance in height and it is more difficult physically.

To work out this extra time, we use the ‘Naismith Rule’. This states that for every 300m you ascend in height, you should add 30 mins to your estimated time. This translates to:

• 1 extra minute to climb 1 contour line (10m)
• 5 extra minutes to climb 5 contour lines (1 thick contour line) (50m)

If you are going downhill though, it is a little bit more difficult. Most people speed up going downhill, but when it gets quite steep, it gets more difficult and you end up going slower. As a general rule on gentle slopes subtract 10 mins for every 300m you descend. On steep slopes add 10 mins for every 300 m you descend. This translates to:

On gentle slopes:

• 20 less seconds to descend 1 contour line (10m)
• 1 minute 40 seconds less to descend 5 contour lines (1 thick contour line) (50m)

On steep slopes:

• 20 extra seconds to descend 1 contour line (10m)
• 1 minute 40 seconds extra descend 5 contour lines (1 thick contour line) (50m)

Other Factors

You should try and take into consideration other factors that could affect your time:

• The load you are carrying can slow you down.
• Difficult terrain such boggy and rocky ground will slow you down.
• Nasty weather like wind, rain and snow can slow you down.
• Your fitness levels may mean that you walk faster or slower than estimated.
• Errors in your calculations such as a longer distance, wrong speed, etc. can seriously affect your time.

Always adjust your estimations accordingly to account for these things. Even if none of them seem like they could be a problem, it can be a good idea to add 10% to your calculated time.