[Katja]

Hello,

I need some GPS help please. We have a Garmont GPS and search electronic maps for Norway. Does anybody know where to find them (not too expensive)?

We are planning a trip across the Jostedal Breen (glacier north of Bergen) and would like to upload either full GPS maps or coordinates for our trip. I heard that you can plot your route on google earth and them creat somehow GPX coordinate file which can be uploaded. Can anybody help please????

Thanks and cheers,

Katja (currently in Germany)

[DC]

Hi Katja,
I’d recommend trying OpenStreetMap- you can load the data onto most Garmins- depening on your model. (For instance the yellow base model eTrex doesn’t accept maps, but the eTrex Vista does).

Might take a bit to get your head around, but there’s info here:
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSM_Map_On_Garmin

And the actual map is here: http://www.openstreetmap.org

Unfortunately it looks like there aren’t contours for Norway.

Cheers,
Dave

[Eamonn]

Open street maps also have a topo version. The name’s a bit misleading if you want to use it for something other than cycling.
http://www.opencyclemap.org/

Not sure what it’s like for Norway. It doesn’t have details like tracks, huts or mountain names in NZ, but is very detailed for Ireland.

[Eamonn]

Failing all that, the Garmin website has the whole country in 1:50K for £120 (https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=94039). It seemed to me that their website throws up an error unless you select the UK or US as your location. Perhaps it might work anyway?

[Éamonn]

Sorry, it looks like the opencyclemap has no topographic information for Norway once you go further north than Oslo. If you have a supported Android, Symbian or iPhone (http://www.viewranger.com/product-overview/supported-phones) you could get an application called Viewranger that lets you selectively download the official topo maps for many countries, including Norway. £25 gets you 600 sq km. You pay for it online, enter the code on your phone and download the tiles over the air before you leave. £76.60 gets you all of Norway, which you download and copy to your phone. Not cheap if you don’t already have one of these phones, of course! If anyone’s getting one anyway, I’d recommend the Motorola Defy as it’s waterproof and has slightly better battery life (still not great) than other such phones. I had another before it (HTC Desire) and it very quickly succumbed to the rain on the hills of Killarney.
Here’s a link to Viewranger’s mapping options for Norway:
http://shop.viewranger.com/products.php?category_id=20

I’ve found their support to be very good – they always get back to me very quickly, even after hours. They also support a SAR support programme (http://www.viewranger.com/SAR/) perhaps something SAR in NZ could avail of too?

Hope this helps. Official Garmin maps might be your only option!

[Katja]

Thanks for all the tips. I found that I can buy Norway maps only in Norway for roughly the price you suggested Eamonn. Have unfortunately no high end iphone Android or similar. Trying now to borrow GPS in NOrway which has hoopefully maps on it.

Thanks for all the help!!!!!!

Katja

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