Navigation

Navigation is about knowing where you are and where you are going. On familiar paths it happens by itself — you know the bends and the stones. The interesting part begins when you move off the path, when the fog settles in, or when snow covers the landmarks you would otherwise look for. That is when map and compass tell you where you stand and where to go next. GPS is fine as a supplement, but no substitute for being able to read a map and use a compass.

What is the map?

A hiking map is a scaled-down drawing of the terrain — a precise 2D representation in which every line, every symbol and every colour means something concrete. The scale tells you how much reality has been reduced. On Kartverket’s standard hiking map the scale is 1:50 000 — 1 cm on the map is 500 metres in the terrain. On more detailed orienteering maps it can be 1:25 000.

The contour lines (the brown lines) show the difference in height across the terrain. Tightly packed lines = steep; widely spread = gentle. The distance between each line is called the contour interval and is typically 20 metres on Norwegian 1:50 000 maps, 5–10 metres on 1:25 000.

The colours follow a convention that almost all Norwegian maps use:

• Blue is wet — water, rivers, bog
• Black is hard — rock edges, stone, hard man-made things (roads, houses)
• Green is forest, white is mountain (above the tree line)
• Brown is contour lines

Learn to pick out leading lines (terrain features that are easy to follow — water, rivers, ridges, clear paths) and catching features (familiar markers — a path junction, a peak, a cliff). Together they let you move through unfamiliar country without losing your bearings.

The compass

The compass has one job: to show where magnetic north is. There are two main types:

• The ordinary baseplate compass — what most people use. The direction-of-travel arrow shows where to aim; the housing is rotated to set a course. Lasts a lifetime.
• The mirror compass — has a mirror with a notch in the top, letting you sight with an outstretched arm and read the graduated dial at the same time. An advantage in foul weather in winter or on a glacier. A little heavier, a little more expensive, not necessary for an ordinary mountain hike.

The compass is useful in at least three ways: orienting the map (lay the compass on top, turn the map until the compass needle points to map north — now map and terrain agree), taking a bearing (read the course between two points on the map, walk it in the terrain), and cross-bearing to establish where you are by taking bearings on two known landmarks.

More on taking a bearing → · Map, compass and map case →

Magnetic variation — the map’s north vs the compass’s north

Magnetic north (what the compass points to) and geographic north (what the map grid points to) are not the same point. The difference is called magnetic variation and varies in Norway from ~3° in the south to ~10° in Finnmark. It also changes over time (~0.1° per year). For accurate map work you have to adjust — modern baseplate compasses have a declination adjustment where you can set the local variation in permanently.

More on magnetic variation →

When you are actually out

Practical habits that make a difference:

1. Use the map regularly. Not only when you become uncertain. If you have been following along as you go, it is easier to work out where you are if something becomes unclear.
2. The thumb grip: keep your thumb on the map where you are standing, so you do not have to search the map each time.
3. Follow the landscape, not just the compass. Use leading lines and familiar markers to confirm that you are where you think you are.
4. Check in time. If the terrain does not match the map — stop and sort it out. It rarely improves by walking on.

In winter, path markings and small paths disappear under the snow. Leading lines such as rivers and ridges become even more important. Many people who are confident with a map in summer discover how much they have leaned on the path markings only when the snow falls.

Navigation in the winter mountains →

Altimeter

An altimeter is a barometer calibrated in metres — together with the map’s contour lines it is a useful check point. If you are standing at a known height and the altimeter shows something else, you adjust it. In changing weather, calibration is needed several times a day, because the air pressure changes. Many outdoor watches have a built-in altimeter.

GPS

GPS is a supplement, not a substitute. It is handy for confirming position or logging a route. It is vulnerable to battery drain in the cold, poor reception below crags, and errors in the map data. Learn map and compass first; use GPS as an extra eye.

More on GPS →

Map symbols

Norwegian hiking maps use around 50–80 distinct map symbols to show paths, buildings, water sources, path markers, power lines, cultural heritage sites. Check the legend on the back of the map (or the side) before you start using a new map series — the symbols vary somewhat between Kartverket, Norgeskart, and commercial hiking-map providers.

At /en/kategori/navigation/ you will find detailed explanations of individual symbols (stream, bridge, dam, ridge, summit, contour lines, and more).

Next steps

To become confident with map and compass:

1. Learn the basics — taking a bearing, contour interval, scale, leading lines (the articles above)
2. Practise in familiar terrain — walk a bearing across familiar paths, check that it agrees
3. Practise in unfamiliar terrain in good weather — find your way to a mountain tarn without using a path
4. Only now are you ready for the fog — if it happens then, you have the tools

Learn more

• Map reference — to tell where you are
• Cross-bearing
• Navigation at sea
• Navigation by nature’s signs
• Printing maps from the internet
• Exercises in map and compass

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Text: Gina Wigestrand, Snuitide (2021), revised 2026. The sections on magnetic variation, cross-bearing and altimeter are based on Lars Christian Unger, Turlederboka (DNT, 2010). The section on navigation by nature’s signs: Bjørn Henrik Stavdal Johansen.

External resources: Kartverket — learn map and compass · Norgeskart · NDLA — using map and compass