Walking apps
The world of digital navigation is expanding all the time. Chris Townsend takes a detailed look at 10 diverse apps to help you plan routes and find your way in the hills.
MMAPPING AND ROUTE APPS have proliferated in recent years with the rise in popularity of smartphones. With mapping apps, you can find your position via GPS and plan and record routes. Some apps allow you to identify features or watch 3D flyovers as well. Here I’m looking at apps designed principally for use with smartphones. There are of course standalone GPS units from the likes of SatMap and Garmin that offer the same mapping and features.
Apps that run on desktop and laptop computers are excellent for planning, and you can print sheets for specific routes.
I’ve been doing the latter for many years, especially on long walks like the TGO Challenge, where it saves weight. One time my OS Landranger printouts weighed 111g compared to 498g for the maps. Of course, the printouts covered much smaller areas than the full maps; however, I had full coverage on my smartphone to use if I wandered off the printed map.
One advantage of digital maps, both on desktop and smartphone, is being able to zoom in and out, for more detail or for an overview of an area. When planning routes I often do this frequently.
Route apps offer pre-planned routes to follow and often have the option of adding your own. Some are also proper mapping maps as well, equipped with Ordnance Survey maps, but many only have basic maps and should be used in conjunction with other mapping. For outdoor use the mapping needs to be top-quality – e.g. Ordnance Survey or Harvey. Street Maps, Google Maps and the like are not adequate.
Many apps also offer mapping for other countries. I’ve used app maps for long walks in various parts of the USA and in the Alps. Again, these need to be large scale topographic maps.
There are apps for Windows, Android, iOS and macOS. Many have versions for all four, but some are specific to particular operating systems. As seems the case with all digital stuff (my camera has more options than I know what to do with, never mind my smartphone) these apps are complex with a plethora of features. Time is needed to learn what they can do, and which features are most useful. There isn’t the space here to cover all the aspects of each product so I’ve concentrated on those I think are of most use to hillwalkers, namely position location, recording routes, plotting routes, route information, printing maps, and share options (so you can share your location). If you use a GPS unit some apps will allow you to import and export GPX files.
Most apps are free but only come with basic mapping, if any. Pricing for maps is complicated as most companies offer many options. Subscriptions are the best value for money and a way to ensure your maps are regularly updated. Buying just the maps you want outright may be initially cheaper, but you don’t get updates and it can get expensive if you need many maps.
It is often argued that smartphones aren’t suitable for use in the hills, that they can fail, that batteries run out, or that they may not be able to get a signal. The latter is based on a misconception. If you’ve downloaded the maps to your phone a phone connection isn’t needed. GPS will show your location. Indeed, it’s best to turn the phone signal off to save battery power.
I’ve been using a smartphone for navigation for over a decade and have yet to have a serious problem. I carry a battery charger, so I don’t run out of power, and I keep the smartphone in a protective case. Of course, if you only have one navigation option and it has problems there can be difficulties. That applies to printed maps and physical compasses too. Maps can blow away; compasses can break or fail. Whether you prefer to use a printed map and compass or a smartphone it’s wise to carry the other as a backup. I always do. Mapping apps usually have a digital compass. Whilst this is good for general directions it doesn’t replace a physical compass.
Most of the apps offer free trials.
the BuddyBeacon, which allows you to share your real-time location with friends and family. It’s PIN-protected so only those you choose can see the information. However, you do require a data connection so it’s not usable everywhere.
ViewRanger also has an augmented reality tool called Skyline. With this you can use your phone’s camera to identify peaks, lakes and more. ViewRanger says it knows the location of more than 9 million points on 80% of the Earth except the polar regions. This is a fascinating and useful feature, naming features in the landscape. You can even use it to guide you along a route. And of course, you can take a photo with the features named on it. Another fun feature to play with is Flyover in 3D which allows you to pan and zoom around routes.
ViewRanger is well-designed and easy to use, both on and offline. It’s an essential part of my outdoor kit.