I was brought up in a household full of maps, boxes of the things grouped into regions and each one offering the possibility of discovery and adventure. I have continued this tradition in my own home; I have shelves filled with an array of orange Ordnance Survey maps and a rainbow of continental cartography. When I was 30, I was sent a map by my friend Serge who is a Swiss mountain guide, on the back there is a note saying,’ I have marked some lesser-known tours, good luck, with love Serge.’ Not only are all Swiss walking maps a thing of beauty as the tone and detail are astonishing, but Serge has taken the time to highlight a plethora of hut to hut routes. He has used intimate knowledge of his home landscape to introduce me to trails I would never have discovered. This map is indeed the gift of adventure.

The word map comes from the medieval Latin phrase ‘Mappa Mundi’ meaning sheet of the world. These two-dimensional sheets are the stuff of my dreams; they give adventure possibility, ambition and access.

As humans, we possess an innate skill of spatial orientation, our brains have a specific region for navigating the spatial environment. As the use of tech, specifically digital GPS devices increase so this part of our brain is diminishing. Reading maps is the skill listed as most likely to be lost in the next generation. Still, the great news is that after decades of decline, sales of printed maps are rising. This is in part due to companies such as Ordnance Survey integrating digitally downloadable options with the printed form.

Often when people get into hiking they seek advice on buying a GPS device that is waterproof, lightweight, cost-effective and long-lasting. The map does this entirely in most instances, perhaps the most crucial point is these humble sheets will never run out of battery. Outdoor organisations, including mountain rescue teams, have spent years championing the use of printed maps to ensure safety while outdoors.

I could list endless reasons why everybody should be passionate about maps, but as the travel restrictions of 2020 roll on why not use the time to look through your maps or buy new maps of places you want to travel. Grab sticky notes, a pencil and a highlighter, annotate routes, see how landscapes interlink, find huts and bothies and hidden lakes, discover historical landmarks or new byways, cover your kitchen table with the map and plan your adventure. Better still, give the gift of a map,  highlight some favourite or lesser know routes and send it to a friend for them to experience some of the nature and landscapes that you love. 

Traditional cartography will always have a special place in my house and my heart as my adventures always begin with a map, they are the art that describes the landscape. The two-dimensional sheets that line my shelves hold the possibility of every place I have yet to discover, and I will continue the joy of giving maps, of giving the gift of adventure.