One of the most extensive public datasets of geographic data is Open Street Maps. Let’s play around with some interesting type of OSM data in QGIS. To query OSM data you ll need to install the “QuickOSM” plugin. See Image 1 below.
The QuickOSM plug-in now available as a new Icon on the QGIS Toolbar. Let’s use a “OSM standard” basemap layer (Web – QuickServices menu) for this module and zoom into Himachal at a 1:1500000 scale (Bottom toolbar): 1cm on map is 15km on the ground. See Image 2.
Next, let’s run our first OSM query. Click the QuickOSM icon on the QGIS toolbar and let’s query all passes from OSM in the current map window. Passes are identified with attribute “mountain_pass” = “yes”. Select “Canvas Extent” in the dropdown and click “Run Query” to execute the query. See Image 3.
A new (temporary) vector layer is created in QGIS showing all passes in the current window extent. We can show the name for each pass by right clicking on the layer, choose “Properties”, “Labels”. Choose “Single Label” and select the “Name” attribute queried from OSM as label. See Image 4 & 5.
You can now zoom into individual passes and verify their exact location on top of an OpenTopoMap base layer in QGIS. See Image 6.
Let’s permanently save this new layer by clicking on the memory icon (can be found right to the the layer name mountain_pass_yes). Choose “ESRI shapefile” and provide a filename to save. See Image 7.
Hiking routes
Let’s now query for OSM hiking routes covering the same region. Switch back to the original map view (Himachal at 1:1500000 scale) and click the “QuickOSM” icon to run a new query for objects “route” = “hiking”. This will return three vector layers: point, line, multi-line. You can keep the line layer and remove the two others. If the routes are not visible over google satellite -> drag and drop the route_hiking layer above the google satellite Layer.
To increase visibility of the trails, right click on the new vector layer, choose “Properties”, “Symbology” and increase the stroke width to 0.5mm. The QGIS main window now shows passes and hiking routes over an OSM Standard base map layer. Image 3 below.
You can zoom into individual trails and verify their presence on a Google Satellite base map. Image 4 below. Finally, click the memory icon next to the new layer and save it as a ESRI shapefile for future reference.
OSM Data Model
Similar as above there are lots of other interesting data in OSM which is useful in planning your Himalayan explorations. The data model is fully descripted in the OSM wiki:
A few useful OSM objects for the alpine explorer: (+ their count in Western Himalayas)
natural=peak // mountain peak (1000+)
natural=water, water=lake (2000+)
natural=spring (100+)
waterway=river, stream (1000+)
highway=path // trail segments (route=hiking are more logical hiking routes) (1000+)
place=town, village, hamlet, isolated_dwelling // human settlement (32.000+)
place=locality // uninhabited named location
historic=fort (300+, Sahyadri)
tourism=camp_site (200+)
tourism=alpine_hut (100+)
tourism=viewpoint (50+)
amenity=shelter (200+)
amenity=place_of_worship // temple (200+)
OSM data related to hiking:
https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Hiking
As mentioned in an earlier module, many of these items can be added to OSM through the OSMAnd app as and when you discover them in the mountains. See Image 2 below.
Assignment
Submit the form below acknowledging the fact that you have gone through the above tutorial.