Google maps out the future

By Steve Keenan

Three days ago, our minibus broke down 1,800m up the mountains of eastern Armenia, about 50kms from our destination for the night.

It was just a fanbelt but it meant four hours before a mechanic could get out from the capital, Yerevan, and repair it. So we went for a walk.

Our guide knew the region, on the edge of a village called Shatin, and bought bread and sausage before we climbed up to a crumbling fortress high on a ridge.

But once up there, she didn’t know where the route down the far side would end up.

So I looked up Google Maps on the iPhone, checked the road layout in the next valley and, once down, we called the mechanic with our location and he picked us up.

It’s so easy now. And if Armenians had made better use of Google Map Maker (the country has 4G and excellent mobile coverage), maybe the village inhabitants could have added where to get coffee. Maybe even a local mechanic with a spare Mercedes Sprint fanbelt.

More than 180 countries now have Map Maker, including Armenia. And as of yesterday, the UK finally has it too, allowing people to add local features such as footpaths, cycle routes and water fountains. Very handy if heading out for a walk.
Users can see pending updates from other users, and can then review those contributions. As much as others can see theirs. A Google team also gets involved before additions are published.

At a demo to launch Map Maker in the UK, location details were added to codebreaker HQ Bletchley Park, such as hut numbers, building layouts and a lake.

It’s all getting down to the detail, and collaborative mapping is a development that anyone in travel can relate to. Add footpaths to the holiday cottage location, cycle routes to your country hotel or water fountains on a clifftop walking holiday and everyone benefits.

In essence, it’s Wikipedia maps - which will be handy, because I doubt the Google cameras will ever get up the path we took to the ridge.
I’d point out the fork in the track that led to the fortress (turn right, not left), the bizarre toilet block at 2,300m and the right track down the other side (turn left, not right).

The last detail I now know, as we turned right and ended up scrambling down rocks to the road. With the guide in heeled and tassled boots. It made for an unexpected treat of an afternoon.

The way it’s going with maps, however, there won’t be as many surprises in the future. Just knowledge, pure and simple.