Google Maps Route on Ben Nevis “Potentially Fatal” Explorersweb

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Despite their apparent technical superiority, mapping apps are a crude way to get around the mountains. They are fine to take you from A to B or to plan a day excursion. Typically, you don’t get up.

But a wrinkle in Google Maps is leading Scottish Ben Nevis hikers to do just that. The worrying thing is that a recent slew of confused visitors have been hurt or worse. The situation prompted the John Muir Trust (JMT) and Mountaineering Scotland to warn of the dangers of relying on technology to navigate the mountains.

Heather Morning, Mountain Safety Consultant with Mountaineering Scotlands, said: [Its] It is easy these days to assume that information on the Internet is all good, correct, up-to-date, and secure. Unfortunately, experience shows that this is not the case and there have been numerous incidents recently where following routes downloaded from the Internet have resulted in injuries or worse.

Google Search: What’s Happening on Ben Nevis?

Photo: George Hodan

The line suggested by Google is potentially fatal.

The problem for Google Maps-oriented hikers on Ben Nevis reportedly starts with tapping on the car icon. The app then directs people to the Steall Falls parking lot. To be fair, this is the closest parking to the summit as the crow flies, the key word is flying. From there it indicates a dotted line that leads straight to the summit of Ben Nevis.

According to Morning, flying is what you may need to do to travel the route. In reality, the only thing the dotted line does is point directly to the summit on terrain that is perhaps best described as technical.

View from the summit of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the United Kingdom. Photo: Shutterstock

Even the most experienced climber would have a hard time following this route, says Morning. The line passes through very steep, rocky and pathless terrain where even with good visibility it would be difficult to find a safe line. Add in low clouds and rain and the line suggested by Google is potentially fatal.

Even in summer, the grassy slopes lead to the bare technical rock. Photo: Wikipedia (creative commons)

Winter increases the importance of a correct search for the route. Photo: Shutterstock

Hiking guide: what can be done

Google released a response to press coverage about the Ben Nevis danger. The statement states: We built Google Maps with safety and reliability in mind, and are working quickly to investigate the route problem on Ben Nevis.

At ground level, the JMT installed signage at Steall Falls to redirect Ben Neviss hikers to the Visitor Center. Unfortunately, he reports, visitors often overlook the new signs.

Sign from the Steall Falls walk-in. Photo: Shutterstock

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Mountaineering Scotland and the JMT prescribe an approach that goes back to basics. We would like to advise anyone considering hiking Ben Nevis, or any other mountain or hill, to check the information on a map or consult a local guide, they say.

Sometimes, you can’t beat the old (mountain) school.

UPDATE: The BBC reports that Google Maps has updated its route to direct hikers to the visitor center. He insisted that the directions on Google Maps did not direct people to dangerous routes. However, he is now looking into other routes in the area and said he welcomed feedback from mountaineering groups or organizations.

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