To read a topographic map you only need to follow the instructions below:
- Orient your map - Using the compass point the arrow that indicates the north of the map to the same position. Put the compass in a flat place on top of the map for this. Rotate the map until the arrow and the north indication are in the same direction.
- Find your location on the map - Look around your path to identify landscapes you identify, such as mountains, rivers, or forests. Try to locate these features on the map to find your position on the map.
- Read the level curves - With the level curves, you will have an idea of the type of terrain that will go through. Remember that the closer the contour lines are, the more inclined the terrain is, and of course the more level the contours are, the flatter it will be. Concentric circles indicate where peaks and hills meet. By convention, the fifth level curve (which indicates multiple values of five) is a bit thicker.
- Identify the characteristics of the landscape on the map, such as the ridges: Which are the tops of a mountain, so they are the innermost contours of a set of level "rings".
The best way to practice reading a topographic map is to identify the contours of a location that is quite familiar to you. So one of the great secrets to easy learning is to go somewhere we know well and, with a topographic map of the region, identify what each map element wants to identify.
