Most hikers are used to coming across hazards on the trails. From fallen trees to loose rocks, there are plenty of dangers that can impede your walk, and paths can potentially become blocked or flooded all year round.
Now, with OS Maps' new hazard-reporting tool, you can check ahead for obstacles and warn others of any potential danger.
The Community Alerts tool, which is available now on the OS Maps navigation app, allows users to report obstacles on the trail and indicate whether they're passable or not. Others can then see the hazard on a map and decide whether or not to proceed.
Hazards are updated in real-time, so everything from flooding to an angry group of cows can be flagged. If someone else visits the same location, and it's no longer there, they can report this on the app, and the hazard will be removed from the map.
OS Maps compares its new tool to road-map app Waze, which alerts drivers to accidents, traffic, and other incidents on the roads.
OS Maps is Britain's largest mapping service, providing detailed cartography right across the country. The OS Maps app is free to use, but offers a paid subscription package that includes greater topographical detail, offline maps, and other handy functions.
An OS Maps premium subscription costs £34.99 annually, or £6.99 per month. You don't need one to access the new Community Alerts feature.
Managing Director Nick Giles says the move is a "huge step forward" for OS Maps and the community of hikers who use it to navigate the wilderness.
"Previously the only hazard reports we could do was ask people to post photos of issues they find on a route and then write a review underneath - which is only useful if someone goes on to read the reviews," he said in a statement.
"As ever, we aim to make the outdoors accessible and safe for everyone, and this hazard reporting tool does just that."
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