Nowadays it has become second nature to most of us: if in doubt ask your smartphone. But relying on a supercomputer in your back pocket is not always the safest bet, as Scottish hikers have recently discovered. Heather Morning, a mountain protection adviser from Mountaineering Scotland, told the BBC: “For those who are hiking in the mountains, it would make perfect sense to check Google Maps for information on how to reach your chosen mountain.” Nevis Even the most experienced mountaineer will find it difficult to follow this path.”
Ben Nevis, at 1,345 meters (4,413 feet), is the highest mountain in the United Kingdom. Globally, this makes it a sad thing, but hikers shouldn’t underestimate the pint-sized top. “As ‘The Ben’ is affectionately known, they may feel the extreme situation which offers it much more seriousness than its moderate height,” the British Mountaineering Council warned. “A lot of people have died on Ben and many more have been rescued from its opal.”
While many Scottish mountaineering organizations have criticized “Ben” on Google’s proposed route this past week, one with the John Moore Trust said their efforts to communicate directly with the tech giant were still “met with silence”. The optimistic climbers searching Google Maps to get to the top of Ben Nevis were led to the nearby High Falls Car Park, local experts explained, probably the closest parking lot to the summit. However, the walk from Upper Falls is dangerous even for seasoned hikers.
Morning explained, “[U] P shows you a dotted line to show you a route to the top after taking you to the car park at the head of Glenn Nevis, giving you a map of your route.” “[However] the line goes through very steep, rocky and unpaved terrain where it would be challenging to find a safe line even in good visibility.” “Add in less clouds and rain and the proposed Google line is potentially deadly,” he added. Ben Nevis is not the only mountain where Google Maps is not your friend. A hill in northern Scotland, known as a “great wilderness”, has also been attacked by Google’s misdirection.
