Measuring Distance on the Map with Pacing

Why pacing still earns its place in your rucksack

GPS batteries die, screens crack, signal drops in crags. Pacing is a skill that never fails. It measures distance on the map with your own two feet. On a misty day on the fells, it can be the difference between a confident descent and a long, worried wander. Wild camping and countryside days out both benefit from knowing exactly how far you've walked.

Count every other step: the double pace

The secret is to count every other step. Instead of counting each footfall, count only your left foot (or right, whichever feels natural). Each count is a "double pace" or "pace" - the distance from left foot strike to next left foot strike. This halves the number you need to remember and makes mental arithmetic easier. So a count of 65 means 65 double paces, approximately 100 metres on flat ground for many adults. But that's just a starting point.

• Use a tally counter or transfer pebbles from pocket to pocket. Counting out loud can disturb wildlife and irritate companions. In a group, one person counts, another navigates, a third watches for hazards.

Find your personal pace on flat and steep ground

You need your own numbers. Find a measured 100 metres: a running track, a football pitch length (roughly 100m), or a quiet road with a measured section. Walk it at your normal fell-walking pace, with your usual pack. Count double paces. Do it three times, average. That's your flat-ground pace per 100m. Most people are between 60 and 70.

Now find a steep slope. A 1:4 or steeper gradient. Walk up 100 metres of horizontal distance (measure on map). Count again. You'll likely find your double paces increase dramatically - 90, 110, even 130. Downhill may be slightly longer than flat, but not as much as you think. Record these numbers on a small card or in your phone. Refresh them each season, and after a change in fitness or pack weight.

• Flat tarmac: 62 double paces per 100m. Gentle fell path: 68. Steep uphill: 105. Rough tussock: 90. Your numbers will differ. Test them.

Use timing to confirm your position

Pacing gives distance. Timing gives confirmation. If you know your pace count and your walking speed, you can cross-check. The classic rule for hillwalkers is Naismith's: allow 1 hour per 5 kilometres on the flat, plus 1 minute for every 10 metres of ascent. But that's for planning. For navigation, use a simpler method: time yourself over a known 100m section at your pace. On flat ground, if you take 1 minute 20 seconds per 100m, then after 10 minutes you've covered roughly 750 metres. Count your double paces to confirm.

Why both? Because pacing drifts when you're tired or distracted. Timing drifts when you stop to admire the view or chat. Together, they keep you honest. If your pace count says 1.2 kilometres but your timing says 900 metres, something's off. Check your map, compass, and surroundings.

Pacing in the wet, the dark, and the wild

Wild camping often means walking off the path to find a pitch. You might need to pace 300 metres from the path to a flat, dry spot, then pace back the next morning. In the dark, pacing is gold. Count your double paces to a stream crossing, then use that count to find the same spot on your return. In cloud, when every rocky outcrop looks the same, pacing confirms you've passed the boulder you noted 400 metres ago.

Countryside days out - a walk to a pub, a circular route through fields - also benefit. Pacing helps you find the stile hidden in the hedge, or the footbridge over the brook. It turns a vague "we should be close" into "we are 80 metres away".

Practical tips to make pacing second nature

• Calibrate regularly. Your pace changes with fitness, footwear, and pack weight. A 15kg wild camping pack will shorten your stride on steep ground.
• Use a simple counter. A cheap tally counter or a handful of pebbles in your pocket. Don't rely on memory.
• Break long legs into 100m chunks. Count to 100, then reset. Count the chunks on your fingers. Five chunks = 500 metres.
• Adjust for terrain. On steep, loose ground, your pace count per 100m might double. Know your numbers before you need them.
• Combine with map features. Pacing doesn't replace map reading. It confirms it. Use it to find a path junction, a summit cairn, or a tent pitch.
• Practise on familiar ground. Next time you walk a local footpath, count your paces between gates. You'll be surprised how accurate it becomes.

Pacing is a quiet skill. It won't impress anyone at the pub, but it will get you home safely in a whiteout. It costs nothing, needs no batteries, and works in the most remote corners of the UK. Whether you're heading out for a Sunday stroll or a multi-day wild camp, take a moment to learn your double pace. Your future self, lost in the mist, will thank you.