Route Finding Above Treeline Without a Trail

Once the trail fades into bare rock and cairns, you are navigating by judgment. Above treeline the landmarks are big, but the consequences of a wrong turn are bigger.

Keep your bearings when the path disappears.

• Line up distant peaks and track your angle to them
• Follow cairns but never trust a single rock stack blindly
• Check the map at every major feature, not every mile
• Carry a compass bearing for the descent before you climb

Above treeline, go slow and confirm often. The mountain is patient, and the hiker who checks the map gets down before dark.

Turn around if the landmarks stop matching the map. Pride pushes people forward, but the smart hiker backs up to the last known point and starts again.