Analogue Adventures

Scouring over maps and dredging through guidebooks was once a major part the whole travel and adventure experience, and something sadly lost to our ever-growing reliance on mobile devices.

 There’s no doubting that mobile devices with their incredible apps, the profusion of perceived “free information” online (it is usually a sell of some kind) and easy access to it has drastically changed the way we travel, and also how navigate along the way.

In so many ways this has made life much easier, although in other ways it’s doused that once open and uncertain road to adventure with a heavy sprinkling of stagnant water, often dampening our sense of adventure in with it. 

Not so very long ago it was commonplace to see travellers walking along with their heads stuck between the pages of a guidebook, almost as if it were some kind of bible that had to be adhered to, and often at the sacrifice of serendipity. 

These day’s it’s mobile devices and Google Maps that lead us to a pre-booked hotel room, which often came rated as the “best (and worst) in town” on TripAdvisor, usually by someone who spent just one night there. 

Is there any difference between the two? Yes (to an extent), the online sites can be far more up to date, although a guidebook written by a professional travel writer holds far more credibility, and you can be sure there’s no ulterior motive behind a review. 

Although the majority of us now travel this way (and many have known nothing but digital travel), there are some amazing and very refreshing advantages to turning off your devices and using a mix of analogue intrigue and good old school common sense and curiosity as your travel guides.

Finding your direction

 Grid references and contour lines mixed & shaken with a double shot of adventure and garnished with hopeful anticipation; what an intoxicating cocktail that once made for, and it still does – or, at least it can if you pull out those impossibly folded fine art like paper maps of old.

It’s hard to believe that the once noble art of planning and navigation has all but been lost to apps and GPS devices, machines of bland precision and with no zest for adventure; totally soulless beasts.

We’ve probably all had both good and bad experiences with navigation apps, and they are surely valuable when looking for the most direct route or when navigating a city. 

Unfortunately, when it comes to seeing the bigger picture they are virtually useless. Their small screen confines drastically limit your horizons, and crush your broader potential. 

Sitting down and opening up a good map and then exploring options with your imagination can change your whole travel experience for the better. 

With a paper map you’re able to see what’s all around you; the small villages, the mountains, and how trails and roads could all come together to shake up an adventure. With a little planning it’s easy to side step the main tourist trail and have a unique and excitingly uncertain travel experience, one that you will not find rated online or detailed in a regular guidebook.

Needless to say you can combine the analogue approach with a dose of digital practicality to finely detail things. Allow a little more time to travel this way, and embrace the uncertainty that comes with it. It’s all part of the adventure or travel, and is far more enriching than taking the digital super highway to Instagram box ticking and back.

 

Paperback pleasures

 Where printed guidebooks really do come into their own is in the specialist arena. You will find all sorts of highly detailed pocket sized guides to trekking, cycling and climbing routes throughout Asia. These are invaluable for pre-trip planning and navigation, especially in remote areas.

They tend to be specific to regions or routes, and although they can date some, the routes don’t tend to change dramatically, making them highly valuable assets.

These books usually come from small niche publishers (such as www.cicerone.co.uk), so you will have to search online to find them in advance.

In the major trekking, mountain biking, and rock climbing areas they are usually easy to find locally. Outdoor gear shops, guesthouses and second hand bookshops are good places to source copies (they are often left behind by travellers).

Following a story

Historical and cultural travelogue based books are also a great companion for travels, and can really help to show a different side to a destination and the local culture. Some older classics books (such as Lost Horizon for Yunnan travel of Seven Pillars of Wisdom for the Middle East) can be found online and are great for giving a journey a whole new meaning.

For detailed regional books airport newsagents and local bookshops can yield some great finds, books you would not find out of the specific area and which offer very in depth insights.

Give paper a go, once you get to grips with navigating and reading them you may well see a whole new world of opportunity out there.