VF elevation maps

[Tassie Kaz]

Getting to the nitty-gritty stage of planning for the Via Francigena...my March departure is looming! A short time ago I found a useful website with lots of practical info & interactive maps for the entire VF. This included a series of elevation maps broken down into sections with scale adjusted as appropriate. I tried to access that same site yesterday only to find it now says 'account suspended'. Thankfully I downloaded the elevation maps when I did! I'm sure there are other versions elsewhere but thought I'd share these with you as they are no longer available. Happy trails.

 

[domigee]

I think sometimes, on the Via Francigena, it is better not to know ahead what the elevations are!

 

[andycohn]

Thanks for that. Also, the official guidebook to the Italian section, “The Via Francigena, 1000 Km. On Foot from Gran San Bernardo to Rome,” (Terre di Mezzo, pub.), which is available both in hard copy and an e-edition, has an altitude profile map of every section in Italy, as well as detailed topo. maps.

The official (and free) Via Francigena app. also has altitude profile and topo maps — in this case, for the whole VF from Canterbury to Rome.

 

[John R McLean]

Excellent! Thank you for the post.

 

[AlwynWellington]

@kazrobbo , thanks. I have quickly perused this material.

For me, because both the elevation and distance scales are changing for each image, what looks worrying in the first three weeks to at least Langres is in fact a near flat billiard table landscape when walked.

I have a map system (OSMAnd+) on my tablet which gives elevation profiles for a route I have selected. When looking at the journey from Calais to Liques I noticed a relatively significant "bump" but thought about it no more. At he end of the day I could not recall cresting any significant hills, so looked more closely. The significant "bump" was rising from plain up to the level of a TGV railway line and then the bridge up and over.

As I have yet to plan ahead from Langres in detail, I take some comfort from the relative even ascent from Martigny to Col diu Grande Saint-Bernard.

@kazrobbo , kia kaha (take care, be strong, get going)

 

[Harington]

@kazrobbo , thanks. I have quickly perused this material.

For me, because both the elevation and distance scales are changing for each image, what looks worrying in the first three weeks to at least Langres is in fact a near flat billiard table landscape when walked.

I have a map system (OSMAnd+) on my tablet which gives elevation profiles for a route I have selected. When looking at the journey from Calais to Liques I noticed a relatively significant "bump" but thought about it no more. At he end of the day I could not recall cresting any significant hills, so looked more closely. The significant "bump" was rising from plain up to the level of a TGV railway line and then the bridge up and over.

As I have yet to plan ahead from Langres in detail, I take some comfort from the relative even ascent from Martigny to Col diu Grande Saint-Bernard.

@kazrobbo , kia kaha (take care, be strong, get going)

Northern France is most certainly not flat in my experience, especially as those setting out are less walking fit than later on the VF. Yes, the ascent of the GSB is an even one and not difficult if you are fit, but it does nevertheless go uphill quite steeply at times!!

 

[AlwynWellington]

@Harington , all things are relative.

An 8 km walk from my home takes me from 80 m asl to 340 m asl with a total ascent of 400 m and descent of 140 m. The final ascent is 240 m over 2 km on a rutted dirt track complete with loose rubble. The descent into the next valley is 6km and takes me almost to sea level.

My route from Canterbury to Chaumont was mainly on roads for ease of navigation, accomodation and food.

For me it was most like a billiard table. Yes, there were the rolling hillocks: crest one then down about 10 m to the bottom of the "valley" and ascend 10 m to the top of the next hillock. The section that most felt like home was the final pull up into Chaumont, except the path was sealed.

It is many years since I was last in Suffolk: my recollection is one of relative flatness but not as flat the area I travelled by car for a day in late 2017 in south Lincolnshire looking for churches and other places for ancestors of a friend from the 1800's before heading to Norwich for the night. That area was not like a billiard table: it was billaird table flat and at one point I could see the spires and upper parts of churches for three villages several kilometres in front of me.

kia kaha (take care, be strong)

 

[kiwiDavid]

Thank you for this kazrobbo - I have been looking for elevation profiles for the Lightfoot route and the "Official" route so I can compare them.
Good one.

 

[Sheena]

Thank you very much for these elevation profiles.
It has certainly helped with our VF planning for next year.
Sheena