This Google Maps Error Put The Lives Of Hikers In Danger, Emergency Services Had To Intervene

Hikers have made the mistake of relying on Google Maps to plan their route through Canadian forests. The app greatly underestimated the difficulty of the trail to take, as well as the time needed to reach the destination. Emergency services had to intervene. Rescuers remind you that you should not rely on Google Maps to organize a hike.

Hikers set out to explore British Columbia, a province of Canada known for its forests and mountains, with the help of Google Maps. After planning their route with the mapping app, they set out on part of the Howe Sound Crest Trail, a route notorious for being difficult to navigate.

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The big blunder of Google Maps

Unfortunately for hikers, Google Maps made a monumental mistake in planning their route. The application divided the route into two distinct segments, respectively 2 hours 55 minutes and 2 hours 18 minutes, for a displayed total of 5 hours and 13 minutes. The hikers said that it was possible to make the journey on foot, without too many pitfalls.

Despite what Google Maps claims, this extremely demanding trail actually requires between 12 and 14 hours of walkingalmost triple the time indicated by the application. The mapping service clearly indicated that “Walking routes may not reflect actual conditions on the ground”but the adventurers did not pay attention to this warning.

So they printed out the route and set out to conquer the “Howe Sound Crest Trail”. The excursion turned out to be longer and more complicated than expectedso much so that emergency services were forced to intervene on the path.

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Google Maps is not made for planning hikes

As the Lions Bay Search and Rescue (SAR) team explains on its Facebook account, “this section is almost 18 km long, with over 1,300 meters of elevation gain, demanding alpine terrain, route finding, easy climbing sections, loose rocks, and countless climbs and descents that Google completely ignores”.

The “Howe Sound Crest Trail” is also considered a technical and demanding path by hikers. On Redditwe find several testimonies indicating that the path is a real way of the cross. To descend certain rocky portions, you must arm yourself with ropes and chains. Most hiking groups take between 1 and 3 days, including camping stops, to explore the area. The Canadian authorities believe that this trail should be reserved for experienced and independent hikers, capable of managing sometimes difficult navigation in the event of fog or bad weather.

Rescuers stress that you should never use Google Maps to plan a hike. Application errors can lead users to make bad choices and to poorly define the chosen departure time, the quantity of food and water carried, as well as the equipment necessary to face a possible night on the trail. As it happened, the hikers were completely unprepared for what awaited them.

“If Google Maps tells you a hike will take five hours when it’s actually an alpine goal of 12 to 14 hours, every decision that comes with it — from what time to start to how much food and water to bring — is affected. This is one of the reasons why we regularly intervene with exhausted hikers, surprised by the night, injured, or unable to complete their objective safely”explique le Lions Bay Search and Rescue.

Rescuers point out that Google Maps does not indicate the actual height difference to be climbed, does not mention the passages where it is necessary to climb rather than walk, the “current trail conditions”such as snow, landslides, or even “the physical effort required “. In addition, the application does not highlight “realistic walking times depending on the mountainous terrain”. In short, it’s really not the right tool for planning a hike in complete safety.

“Don’t let Google Maps convince you that a challenging hike is just an afternoon stroll”summarizes Lions Bay Search and Rescue.

Hiking apps to choose instead of Google Maps

Instead of trusting Google Maps, it is better to turn to applications designed for hiking, such as AllTrails, Visorando, or even MaRando, the official application of the French Hiking Federation (FFRandonnée).

Note that the incident on the Howe Sound Crest Trail is not an isolated case. In 2023, near Mount Fromme in Canada, rescuers had to twice come to the aid of walkers lost on a trail…which did not exist, but which was displayed on Google Maps. After a petition, Google agreed to simply remove the ghost path from the application. A similar incident occurred in Scotland two years earlier, near Ben Nevis, the highest point in the United Kingdom. Here again, Google Maps had begun to send travelers on paths so technical that even experienced mountaineers would have difficulty venturing there…