Without a map: drawing a sketch map and looking back

The way back is harder than you think. On the way out you see every junction from the front; on the way back you come from the other direction, and the same junction suddenly looks unfamiliar. A narrow path that quietly joined from the right on the way out may be the wider path on the way back – and you take the wrong turn.

A sketch map records three things: the direction at each junction (left, right, straight on and, if possible, the compass direction), the approximate time and a distinctive feature. When you read the sketch backwards on the return, you reverse the directions: 'turned left' becomes 'turn right'. The times give you a rough check of when the next junction should come.

Looking back complements the sketch. If you briefly stop after each junction, turn around and memorise the spot from the opposite direction, you already have a picture in your head for the way back. Together, the two make it very unlikely that you take a wrong turn at a junction.

Start right at the beginning. Describe the starting point – car park, street name, hut – and if possible save the coordinates or take a photo. Then really note something at every junction, even the seemingly obvious ones. It is exactly the junctions you think are 'clear' that often cause problems on the way back.

Keep it simple. A line for the path, an arrow for the direction, the time and a keyword such as 'bench', 'big boulder' or 'bridge' are enough. With a compass or the position of the sun you can also note the compass direction; this makes the sketch much more reliable, especially when there are several similar junctions.

Photos can complement the sketch: at each junction take a picture facing back, that is, the way you will see the spot on the return. But photos use battery, which you may still need for an emergency call. Short notes on paper are therefore the safe foundation.

A sketch map is ideal for short detours from a known route, for walks in unfamiliar areas without a map, when the navigation app has failed, or to find your way safely back to the car or camp. It helps in an unfamiliar city too.

But it does not replace a map. It only helps you back along your own route, not to find a new one. For long off-trail trips you need map and compass. In poor visibility without a compass the sketch is very imprecise. And a sketch is no tool for caves or mines – they have their own serious hazards.

Do not go too far with only a sketch. If the detour gets longer than planned or you start doubting your sketch, turn back while the way back is still short and easy to remember. For trips away from known routes, take a map and leave a trip plan with a trusted person.

If you still do not know how to go on: stop, stay calm, go through the sketch calmly and work out where you were last certain. In danger, with an injury or when darkness is falling, call the local emergency number (112 in the EU) and describe your starting point and route using the sketch – those notes are then valuable for rescuers too.

Marks in nature are not a good idea: carving signs into bark injures trees, broken branches damage nature and can confuse others. Your sketch and your memory are the better trail.

On your next walk in a park or forest, make a sketch even if you know the route. Then go back using only the sketch and notice how different the junctions look from the other side. With children this is a lovely game: they get to draw the sketch and take the lead on the way back.

Sketch maps are a classic land navigation tool, and deliberately looking back is one of the first rules that scouts and hiking guides teach beginners. The more often you do it, the more it becomes a habit – and eventually you turn around at every junction quite automatically.