h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The Devil makes work for idle hands, they say.

Once or twice today I had a bit of a lull. And I was surrounded by maps, and, well, routes started to be plotted. There's a certain pleasure in poring over maps, plotting routes. Pondering all the myriad ways of getting from A to B, and trying to find one that's never been done, or to find the most interesting way of doing it.

Have you ever read a brilliant novel, and got so engrossed in it that you don't consciously see letters and words on the paper, you just see the images, and colours, and events happening in your mind? Maps are like that if you have a good one. You see a cliff, not a jaggedy line that *represents* a cliff. You're off on a voyage before you know it. But I digress.

So, first the boredom. Then the maps. Then, if you're unlucky, the temptation.

And before you know it you've got half a mind to do the Mournes Seven Sevens Challenge...to climb each peak in the Mournes >700metres, in about 10-12 hours.

Trailtrekker had *nothing* on that.

And, almost like an omen, the most recent map has downgraded one of those peaks to less than 700m now. So it's the SIX sevens, and six sevens =_____?

42, of course!

And as if that wasn't enough temptation, I then found out they've brought the Mourne Wall Challenge back this year, for the first time in thirty years...

If people keep making snowballs like this, I'm gonna end up firing them.

Maps are terrible things!

I have spent many an hour tracking a course on a map, or navigational chart, and following their course. Modern GPS is only a cheap opiate by comparison.

Have you ever watched the film - http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-englishman-who-went-up-a-hill-but-came-down-a-mountain-1995

A good study of the perils of a map-maker.

got to to Google Maps

F S

Haha! I love maps; I'm currently reading 'On The Map' by Simon Garfield and very much enjoying it.

Good luck with your challenge - sounds fitting!

It's just a thought at present. I'll need to get a bit of serious hiking in before that if I'm going for it, as I haven't done a lot this year.

I've just googled that book - it looks fascinating! http://www.simongarfield.com/pages/books/on_the_map.htm

I remember seeing that film a few years ago. Despite Hugh Grant being in it, I managed to rather enjoy it!

Here's the Seven Sevens: http://www.spartanredsox.co.uk/mourne-seven-sevens-challenge.html

There's a map of one guy's route here at the bottom of his blog post. http://www.northern-focus.com/blog/mourne-seven-sevens/

Mainly a nice, circular route, but I don't like the big long double-back to take in Slieve Binnian (the southernmost one).

oh my that map book looks great. It's on my wishlist

I love maps. Always have. It's what bothers me most about GPS, sure it's great when you are alone in the car, but you don't get to see all the other cool stuff.

What I don't like about GPS is you can't unfold it out to A0 size - it feels like peeking through a keyhole at a map.

yeah, it's pretty rubbish for spotting crazy place names or ground formations.

That book looks fab, and now I've seen the website there appear to be about a dozen more of his that I want to read

I have his "Just My Type" as well, which was decent but not as interesting as I hoped.

I think I may need to write an entry on Ordnance Survey...

I've had vague designs about writing an OS entry for years, but I've never got around to it. (I remember lying on Beatrice's kitchen floor waffling on about writing it, and that must be about two or three years ago and I'm no further on. )

Do you want to collaborate on it?

Certainly could do, that might be interesting!

We'd probably need to have a look at the structure and what way to divvy up the writing...or just start a thread somewhere and start brainstorming.

I was doing a bit of reading today, and it struck me that there are two types of entry.

There are the ones where you are digging everywhere to find enough information. Wading through Middle English sources, or biology texts with a scientific dictionary beside you, or some obscure Persian traveller's diary from 1812.

And then there is the opposite kind, where you think "Crap, what information should I leave *out*?"

The story of the OS is definitely in the latter category!

I'll post on your PS.

Just keep in mind that for the readers sake it is better to be short and sweet with a hook, and some other links for in depth stuff if they want to pursue the topic. It is a guide rather than 'Encyclopedia Britanica'. Internet readers are happier with shorter articles than text walls.

Don't worry Elektra. I've never been one for the exhaustive "nine thousand things you don't want to know about coins of the 3rd French Republic". If I start to cry when I'm writing an entry I tend to spare readers the pain.

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Back to that "Seven Sevens" challenge...I've just realised how close we actually are to August, and doubting I'll be ready for it. I've done relatively little hiking this year, what with the crap weather, and various other things taking precedence.

I think I might try *half* the route on Saturday. Then if I don't die, I'll decide what to do next.

I'm feeling the need to stretch myself a bit further than usual.

But how do you climb half a mountain?

What is the sound of one boot walking?

*thump* *squelch* ?