PEAKVISOR: the app that helps you keep track
We all know about the Munros – but with the popularity of ‘peak bagging’ lists across the world booming, a new app offers a fun way of keeping tabs on your climbs
MANY OF US will have a long list of hills or places that we want to visit, and the PeakVisor app is a fun, comprehensive way of keeping track.
‘Peak bagging’ was popularised in Scotland following the 1891 creation of the Munro’s Tables by Sir Hugh Munro. Nowadays the Scottish Mountaineering
Club holds the record of Munros, Corbetts, Grahams and Donalds completers. They accept notifications of completion, and any amendments to the list, in writing only, and delivered to their postal address!
Since Munro’s days, peak bagging has grown throughout the world. The Welsh Three Thousands, the US Fourteeners, the Seven Summits, the Eight-thousanders and the Ultras of Europe have all become the focus for everything from active holidays and charity fundraisers to personal challenges. There are now also tick-lists for cultural and historical sites, in both town and country.
The team behind the PeakVisor app has created a digital toolkit for peak baggers so they can easily plan, navigate and cheerfully tick off places they have visited. The Travel Logbook feature for example shows the achievements carefully tracked and organised.
HIGHPOINTING
A small twist turns peak bagging into ‘highpointing’. In peak bagging, the targets are the summits. In most cases, the target has a threshold of elevation, prominence or isolation from its neighbouring top. In highpointing, targets are the highest points in some geographic area (eg a county, state or a country). The highest point in Central London is Hampstead Heath (139m), whilst the highest point in Greater London is Westerham Heights (250m), part of Betsom’s Hill (251m).
Many countries now have high point challenges – the Ireland county tops, US states high points, etc. You could even create a list of national parks with the goal to visit them all. Be warned though - national parks change more often than mountains!
BRITAIN: HOME OF PEAK BAGGING
As the birthplace of the peak bagging habit, our islands offer the most diverse set of lists for peakbaggers. Here are just a few of the most popular options:
Munros: Scottish hills over 3,000ft
Furths: hills over 3,000ft outside of Scotland
Corbetts: Scottish hills between 2,500 and 2,999ft high with a prominence of at least 500ft
There are also the Grahams, Donalds, Marilyns, Wainwrights, Birketts, Hewitts – and many more.
Probably the most special to this magazine is the The Great Outdoors: Britain’s 40 Finest Mountains list, which we published back in 2018 in celebration of our 40th birthday.
You can find most of the ‘TGO 40 Finest’ list in the PeakVisor app with a special tag.
PEAK BAGGING AWARDS
Completing some lists brings prestigious awards. For example, the Snow Leopard Award was given to climbers who summited all five peaks of 7000m and above located in the former Soviet Union, the champion climber here being Denis Urubko. There’s also the Explorers Grand Slam challenge, which requires a participant to reach the North and South Pole, and climb the Seven Summits. A True Explorers Grand Slam takes things quite a few steps further, with a visit to both magnetic poles as well as the world’s 14 peaks above 8000 metres.
WHAT’S YOUR CHALLENGE?
As peak bagging grows in popularity, hillgoers are looking for new challenges – faster, solo, during winter etc. ‘Collecting’ peaks might form part of a personal challenge or may just be a good excuse to experience places you wouldn’t otherwise. Either way, watch out – peak bagging is addictive!