Identifying the Landscape

Have you ever been out walking or climbing and taken some photos of what you think is some stunning scenery but have no idea what hills or mountains you're looking at?

Thankfully, there are a few resources that can help with that as long as you know where you were (or are) while looking. If you don't know where you are then I'd suggest you're lost and that's a whole different problem.

How to Find Out Where You Are

If you need to find your current GPS coordinates, then that's easily done (assuming you have a GPS-capable smartphone) using Google Maps. Google have a simple guide on how to do it using a computer or smartphone here:

• https://support.google.com/maps/answer/18539?hl=en

There are loads of other free apps that will do much the same, although most are supported by ads. A compass app is also useful, especially if you're lost.

If you have a paper map and compass, then there are some decent guides on how to use those here:

• https://getoutside.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/guides/beginners-guide-to-using-a-compass/

• https://www.thegreatoutdoorsmag.com/skills/how-to-read-a-map-and-compass/

If you don't have a smartphone or a paper map and compass, then you really are lost I'd usually suggest finding a watercourse and following it downstream in the hope that it'll hit a road. I've never been lost in a desert or jungle and that strategy won't help in either of these scenarios so your best bet then is to use the sun (climbing a tree is optional but watch out for dragons):

• https://www.thegreatoutdoorsmag.com/skills/navigation/how-to-use-the-sun-to-navigate/

• https://www.wikihow.com/Determine-Direction-Using-the-Sun

Identifying Them Thar Hills

Okay, you know where you are (or were) and we can move onto identifying what you're looking at. Again, a smartphone or computer is the best way to do this but it can be done using a paper map and compass like we did years ago and I'm not going to describe how to that here.

These days, if I'm outdoors I'll try the PeakLens (Android) or Horizon Explorer mobile apps (Android and iOS). Sadly, the PeakVisor and PeakFinder apps are either not free or restrictive in free mode. All of these apps will try and identify what you can see via your device camera using augmented reality.

If you've taken some photos and are enjoying a cup of hot soup or coffee after a day on the hills and are wondering what you're looking at, then here are a few online apps that can help identify any mountains, peaks or hills in them:

PeakVisor Explorer - while the app is available for Android and iOS, it's a bit restrictive in free mode. However, you can search via the web site here:

PeakFinder - the mobile app isn't free but the web app is and it'll let you search by name or GPS coordinates here:

Generate a Panorama - lets you generate a panorama given a location and direction. You can also zoom in on a section of the image. It's a wee bit fiddly to use but is probably more powerful than the ones above and well worth checking out here: