GPS, guides or paper maps for the TMB

A known dilemma these days: what kind of navigation devices do I take on my hike? Seasoned hikers will say you always need a paper map and a compass, but the reality is: most people don’t even know how to use those. I am personally really a fan of paper maps and I do collect them, but sometimes they just aren’t necessary. And yes, paper maps are safe. The are convenient. But these days, there is a lot of technology that can help you get by without them. So, for the TMB: what is the best navigation system?

The Tour du Mont Blanc isn’t always well marked. It is definitely not a trail you can do without some form of navigational device. Some trails are so well marked that I only carry my phone with an app as back up, like the Müllerthal Trail for example. The TMB is not one of them. On top of that, you might want to do one or more alternates. There are several, not all official ones. The alternates are very scarcely marked with the TMB blaze, and mostly just marked as a standard hiking trail, with red and white markings. Nothing linking the trail to the TMB. You do need something to find your way through the mountains.

Garmin Inreach (Mini)

Firstly, you have to know that I didn’t plan to take paper maps on this trail. I had two guide books (one digital and one actual book), I had my Garmin Inreach mini, a Suunto GPS watch and the Fatmap app on my phone (on which I had set out my entire route). Seems like too many devices, doesn’t it? Let’s start with the Garmin Inreach mini: looking back, would I still take it? Now, that is an easy answer: yes. Yes, I would absolutely take my Garmin again. I would take it on every single solo hike because of its SOS system. Reception on the trail isn’t always good, never mind internet. The Inreach is my number one safety device. But, and there is a but, it is not my main navigation device. I find navigating with the Inreach mini (I don’t have experience with the regular Inreach) quite cumbersome. Yes, you have a breadcrumb trail you can follow, but to really see the map, you have to link it to your phone, which drains the batteries of both devices rather quickly. Plus, the connection isn’t always as smooth: it often takes a while before your location is updated and showing on your phone. My Inreach is thus an safety device rather than a navigation device.

GPS watches

About my watch, I can be short. It’s kind of the same problem as the Inreach: there is a breadcrumb trail to follow but that’s it. Not even the option to have a live view on your phone. On top of that, the battery is drained completely when I am tracking for 8 hours straight (this sounds so bad, but I do actually love my watch). I might use it when I’m staying in a hotel with easy access to power points, but not on a backpacking trip.

Phone apps

Now on to the app. I do really love Komoot, because you can download the maps onto your phone and use them without an internet connection (with subscription, 59 euros per year I believe), and to actually see your location on the trail via GPS. For new hikes close to home or shorter trips, this is my main navigational device. On longer backpacking trips however, and this might seem so old fashioned, I do not like to rely solely on an app on my phone. Phones can break. Batteries can die. And I do like planning out my route for the next day in the evening, for which I take out quite some time. The battery of my phone would drain to quickly if I had to do that on my phone. For navigating during the day, I do often use it, because it is just easy. You can see where you are very clearly, you have a full map view with detailed information and you can set out your route beforehand. So, is an app enough to navigate you through the mountains on the Tour du Mont Blanc? Yes, with some conditions. First and foremost, you have to be able to read maps. Don’t just rely on the GPS blob on your screen, because your location can be off or just stationary when reception isn’t good. Second of all, it has to be usable offline. You don’t have an internet condition, especially on the Italian side of the trail (and in Switzerland internet is just plainly expensive). And thirdly, you have to have a power bank for back up power. If your phone dies, you are lost. That is why I always have a non-battery powered backup.

Guides

This was this original plan: use a combination of apps, the Inreach and guide books. I had one on my e-reader and one paper version. Both had maps. I mean, that should be enough, right? Well, I like the information I found in the guides for planning purposes, but for navigational purposes, they are totally not ideal. You constantly have to look for the right map on the right page, the print is small and a book is heavy. Especially on an e-reader it is so hard to find the right map. Is it possible? Well, in theory yes, IF your guide has a good map. I wrote a separate review on two guide books on the Tour du Mont Blanc. If you go have a look at them, you will see my reservations. Mainly, yes you get an overview of the trail, but the maps in those guide books are quite narrow. And to navigate in the mountains, you make use of all the elements in the landscape around you; mountains on the other side of the valley, waterfalls in the distance, glaciers high above, … Because the maps are usually an outtake of a bigger map, you just don’t get that overview and you are stuck with a very narrow field, which you cannot use to determine your location. If you know where you are, all’s well, but if you don’t, good luck.

Paper maps

I wasn’t going to use paper maps for this trail. The first thing I did when I arrived in Chamonix (after trying to plan out my itinerary for the next couple of days on the train), was finding good paper maps. I cannot live without them, apparently. Althouh, in the field, I mainly use my phone, those maps are key. I use them as a backup device, when the app isn’t making sense or just not working properly (which happens, with every app) and to plan out my routes each evening. Yes, I plan my route at home, but once your there and you are in the middle of it, I like to study the maps again, but thoroughly. That is, however, a personal preference. It gives me a good idea about the environment, the terrain and the altitude lines.

There are, of course, a few drawbacks with paper maps. Although they are pretty lightweight, they are large and particularly annoying to open and fold again. Especially in the rain. God, I hate pulling out my map in the rain. Secondly, you do have to be able to read a map. Now, without shaming people, I do find that an essential skill when doing a tour like the TMB. The Alps are tough terrain, no matter how easy the hike. If something happens while you are out of cell phone reach and you can’t read a map, you are screwed. And lastly, you need a proper map, not a tourist map. Preferably on with scale 1:25 000. I always go for the maps made by the official alpine club. The maps I used were the IGN Top 25 3531 ET - St-Gervais-Les-Bains / Massif du Mont Blanc and the IGN Top 25 3630 OT - Chamonix Massif du Mont Blanc. You can order these online, but buying them locally is usually cheaper.