Measuring distance: pace counting and timing

For one person on similar ground, pace length is surprisingly consistent. If you know how many double paces you need for 100 metres, you can convert any distance on the map into double paces and count along the way. People count double paces because they then only have to count half as far and lose count less often.

But pace length changes: uphill your steps get shorter, downhill shorter or longer depending on the steepness. Long grass, snow, scree, a heavy pack, fatigue and darkness shorten them too. So you do not measure only once on a level path, but also in rough terrain, uphill and downhill – and estimate the deviations.

Timing works in a similar way: if you know your own walking speed, you can estimate the distance from the time that has passed. There are rules of thumb for walking times, such as Naismith's rule from the 19th century. But they only give guide values that you must adapt to yourself, your load and the terrain.

Only your own values count. Figures from other people, books or the internet do not help, because pace length depends on height, leg length, gait and terrain. Write your values for different surfaces on a small card or directly on the compass.

Losing count is the most common mistake, especially during interruptions: you stop, look at the map, talk to someone – and afterwards no longer know whether it was 63 or 73. Aids make this easier: pace beads on a cord, where you slide one bead along after every 100 metres, knots in a cord, or small pebbles you move from one trouser pocket to the other.

Note the time at the start of each leg. Then you have a second, independent estimate. If paces and time roughly agree, you can be fairly sure. If they differ a lot, something is wrong – and you look more closely.

Pace counting is especially valuable on short compass legs: from the attack point to the target, in fog, in forest or at dusk. Here, knowing the distance often decides whether you find a small target.

Over long distances it becomes tiring and inaccurate, because small errors add up. So divide long distances into short legs with checkpoints. In very steep or bouldery terrain, where every step is different, pace counting is of little use – there the time, and above all observing the terrain, help more.

Very important: if you have reached the counted distance and the target is not there, do not just keep walking. Stop, look around and search systematically, for example in small loops around your position, before you lose track of where you started.

Find a distance whose length you know for certain – for example on a sports ground, or a stretch you have measured on an accurate map. Walk it at your normal hiking pace and count the double paces. Repeat it a few times and take the average. Then do the same on a forest path, uphill and downhill.

If you carry a GPS or an app, you can check your values on the move: count a stretch and compare with the recorded distance. That way your values keep improving over time.

For children, pace counting is a nice game: how many steps to the next bench? Who guesses best? Along the way they learn to judge distances.