The Route Card is a standard walking document. It generally contains columns for you to mark in the grid references your route will be passing through, a description of this place and the route walked, and how far it is from the last grid reference. There are also columns for you to mark in the bearing you will be travelling along, and whether you have gained or lost height since the last point you passed. These can be read using a map (map reading) and compass ( compasses) and from them you can also calculate how long the journey will take you.

There are 2 purposes for a route card.
1. To let other people know your intended route. If you are walking, you should let someone know where you are going and completing the route card is a good, standard way of letting someone know the route. If you have an accident on your expedition this information can be used to find and help you.
2. If you are planning a route for others to follow, the route card is a good standard to complete for them to follow.

It is important to include standard information on a route card, and then many people will understand it
If it is written in a clear, easily understood and standard manner then if you have an accident when you are on your expedition the route card will be a great asset to rescuing you.

The information it could contain includes a grid reference (used to pin point your intended location on a map), a description of the place (its name - Bobs farm for example), how you are going to get there from the last point on the route and how long it will take you to get there. To work out how long it will take you to get to a point a few other pieces of information are usually used and these are the distance between the points, any height climbed or descended, and any breaks you are intending to have.

This can be seen on the standard route card templates

While you are filling in the route card you should make the distance between successive grid references fairly close together, this will enable your route to be described more accurately. It will also aid navigation by giving more points along your route to check as you are travelling.

Timing how long it will take you
By using information from the map and filling in the relevant columns, you can estimate the time your journey will take, using a rule called Naismiths rule.

This says that along a flat surface a person will walk at about 4 kilometres an hour, one every 15 minutes. Going up hills takes longer by about 1 minute for every 10 meters in height you climb. If you walk for more than 1 hour you should allow a 10 minute break.

15 minutes for 1 kilometre
1 minute extra per 10 meters you climb
10 minute break every hour walked

Note that for a group of Scouts walking, I would use 3.5 km/h for an inexperienced group, and maybe 4.5 km/h for an experienced group on a day walk. For an expedition for Scouts I would use 4 km/h.

For Cycling off road I would use between 8 and 12 km/h depending on the group. Maybe 16 km/h for experienced riders. Between 12 and 20 km/h for road cycling depending on the group and bikes.

Escape Routes
Along your route it is useful to plan Escape Routes. These are diversions from your planned route. If you get into trouble, then these are pre-planned routes to get you to safety. Trouble could include bad weather, injuries, or tiredness.

Notes
Route cards can be completed before you set out on an expedition, however once out you will still need to know how to map read, plan a route, work out compass bearings and timings in case you need to.