In recent years, various technological advancements have emerged, enabling improvements in the content of maps covering the Swedish mountains—something we at Calazo have been eager to take advantage of. By utilizing previously unavailable data, we have succeeded in developing what we call the new generation of mountain maps.
The older generation of mountain maps in Sweden was developed by Rikets Allmänna Kartverk (now Lantmäteriet) in the 1960s and has remained largely unchanged since then. There were no alternative data sources available, even for those interested in creating their own mountain maps. When we at Calazo first began publishing mountain maps around 2010, we adjusted the map sections and printed maps on both sides of the sheet using a material named Tyvek that wouldn’t tear even in poor weather conditions in the highlands. This was already a significant improvement for users, even though the fundamental map content and design remained the same.
The single most important factor enabling better mountain maps in recent years is so-called laser scanning. This involves scanning every meter of terrain from the air. Airplanes fly back and forth at an altitude of a few thousand meters, equipped with measurement systems that use lasers to determine ground elevation. The result is an enormous dataset that can be applied to various areas of urban planning, such as calculating flood risks, determining wind turbine placements, or conducting forest inventories. As a beneficial side effect, our cartographers can extract entirely new details and valuable information for those of us who spend time in the mountains.
Aerial Laser Scanning Creates an Enormous Number of Measurement Points Across the Country.
When developing a map, both its content and appearance must always be adapted to the intended scale. When the previous generation of mountain maps was created in the 1960s, aerial photographs were analyzed, and contour lines were drawn by hand—an incredibly labor-intensive process. The contour lines were adjusted to look good at a scale of 1:100,000, and even if there had been a desire to create more detailed maps, the necessary data simply did not exist.
Over the years, various companies have produced maps of areas such as the Kebnekaise mountains in both 1:50,000 and 1:75,000 scales. However, these maps were based on the Swedish mapping authority’s database, originally designed for 1:100,000 scale. They did not introduce any new information but merely displayed the same content in a different scale.
A map excerpt showing the level of detail at a 1:100,000 scale for Sarek National Park (Niják is located at the northern end of Ruohtesvágge). Traditional appearance and content that have remained largely unchanged since the 1960s.
Niják, photographed from Kisiruskåtan. The distinct ravines along the entire slope are not visible in the older map data.
The first step in developing the new generation of mountain maps is creating more accurate elevation contours based on data from laser scanning. Since every square meter of Sweden now has an exact elevation value, the level of detail is extremely high—sometimes even too high. Therefore, a balance must be struck to ensure that the information is suitable for a 1:50,000 or 1:25,000 scale map.
Our cartographers then spend significant effort creating different types of terrain shading. It may sound unusual, but the vast amount of data from laser scanning allows for terrain shading that highlights natural formations in steep terrain with exceptional clarity. Instead of depicting cliffs only with elevation contours so closely spaced that they become difficult to distinguish, we complement all steep terrain with detailed, naturalistic terrain shading.
When we layer all this information together, a new type of map emerges. Our ambition has been to create a cartographic style that follows the Swedish tradition of mountain maps in terms of appearance while incorporating elements inspired by Swiss maps of the Alps, which are considered among the best in the world.
A comparison in level of detail between a standard mountain map (left) and what we call the new generation of mountain maps.
In addition to new elevation and terrain information, the new generation of mountain maps has significantly improved precision in various cartographic details:
Laser scanning data allows us to determine the exact extent of mountain birch forests. In our most detailed maps, we can even depict the precise size and position of large boulders in the terrain.
Our cartographers have spent considerable time analyzing the detailed satellite and aerial photographs now freely available. This has helped enhance the depiction of rocky terrain and scree slopes. For example, notice the small dots representing rocky debris below the cliffs of Niják.
The accuracy of waterways has been markedly improved compared to maps based on the old 1:100,000-scale data. By combining different map layers, streams and larger bodies of water appear with much greater precision.
We have also revised the accuracy of mountain trails. It may sound surprising, but even trail placements have historically lacked detailed precision. Using both aerial photographs and aggregated data on where people actually travel, we have adjusted them to accurately reflect reality.
The extent of glaciers is, unfortunately, a pressing issue. We have updated the sizes of many of Sweden’s glaciers in collaboration with Professor Per Holmlund from the Department of Physical Geography at Stockholm University. As part of this effort, we have also mapped ice-filled moraines near glaciers, which, due to increasing melt, can collapse and pose potential hazards to hikers in summer. These are marked with blue contour lines outside the glaciers, clearly visible below the smaller northern glacier on Suottasjtjåhkkå.
With these improvements, we believe our maps provide a significantly better tool for anyone navigating the Swedish mountains, whether for hiking, skiing, or other outdoor activities.
Calazo is the leading outdoor publishing house in the Nordics, specialized in hiking maps and guidebooks.
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