COMPASS DECLINATION

For those members who are wondering about the up-to-date local declination for their compasses or are planning hikes in other areas of the province or country, the following sites will provide you with an up-to-date declination for either specific latitude and longitude or the localized declination of the nearest community.

1. Internet – once you are there, just input your latitude and longitude, and it will give you the appropriate declination.
   a. http://geomag.nrcan.gc.ca/apps/mdcal_e.php.
   b. This US site, http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/geomap/jsp/Declination.jsp, covers our area as well and helps further the field.

2. Calculate the latitude and longitude of your map

3. Buy a Soft map from Walmart for about $80, which has all the maps of Southeast BC. This program will tell you the latitude and longitude of any point on the map, based on NAD 83 or NAD 27 data.
Mt Sir Sanford has an approximate latitude of 51.66 degrees and a longitude of 117.87 degrees (NAD 83 datum). Inputting this information, you come up with a declination of 17.46 degrees for the climbing camp.
Your present declination in Nelson is 16.56 degrees, so if you are concerned about pinpoint accuracy, you can change your declination by 1 degree when you go up to Mt Sir Sanford. Otherwise, it shouldn’t make too much of a difference if you are only travelling short distances from camp. If you change it, make sure to change it back when you get home.

4. *And then, of course, you could also set your GPS unit for True North and place your compass such that True North coincides by adjusting the declination, making sure the GPS unit doesn’t interfere with the magnetic compass (aka stone chisel).

By Peter Jordan