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Iphone apps for off piste and randonee

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Can I pick the Snowheads' hive brain ?
What mapping-type apps do you find most useful when off piste or for route planning in the Alps ?
What's indispensable, what's "nice to have" ?
Googling this has just confused me so over to you guys - all advice/links gratefully received.
And yes, sure, mobile phones are no substitute for training/experience/map/compass/dedicated gps etc etc but accepting all the usual provisos what's best to have on your phone ?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
FatMap is useful.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
You can have offline maps with googlemaps.

Slopes app also does some stuff like recording your route & having 3d maps
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+1 for FatMap
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
FATMAP is very good for planning. Knowing where you are and knowing where you’ve been. It’s got some good safety features and is also like a really good guide book. Looks great too.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
iphigenie for french mapping. Indispensable? Almost...
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Thanks for the feedback guys. Unfortunately Fatmap can't seem to open without crashing on my ancient ipad and it's a bit difficult to assess on my phone screen . Why do you find it so useful exactly ?
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@gvj, Route planning. I'd advise against taking youre ipad, could be a bit bulky on the mountain wink

Or use a 1:25,000 scale map? It worked for many years before Fatmap etc.....I use both, Fatmap largely for interst sake on dark evenings amusement, and zoom right in (if available), then 1:25000 map for looking at detailed terrain before setting off on my trip.....that said i'm not doing much ups mostly downs and never alone. Fatmap really good but not a map replacement by any means.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
It has useful overlays of things like terrain steepness on top of 3D satellite imagery. Good for visualising off-piste routes that you might be thinking about, making sure you can exit back to where you want to, no nasty surprises like dense forest, etc. Not something that I would rely on fully in terrain I was completely new to, which a proper topo map (on screen or in paper) would seem to be the best if you are planning touring routes.
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
Topo GPS is pretty handy as a 1:25,000 scale map on your phone and nowhere near as graphic hungry as Fatmap. You can trace routes mark way points etc + as long you have a signal you know where you are on the map. You buy the sections you need, and much of Europe is covered. In France it uses IGN maps, in the UK Ordnance Survey.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Nice to have is Relive. Here's one of a hike I did, but it's good fun to watch/relive your day on skis too.

https://www.relive.cc/view/1689051744
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
On a side topic, iPhones turn off way quicker than Samsung phones in the cold in my experience. Apparently its do to with battery temperature protection. I found iPhone pretty useless S7 lasts all day.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
I would not rely on any thing battery powered as my sole source of information off piste or touring. I use an app as an amusement, and have even carried a battery recharger. But in the cold, anything can happen to battery driven gadgets. Map and compass and know how to use them.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Neither would I
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
You could try ViewRanger with European mapping at 1:25,000
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
remembered this thread after finding a new app today.

http://www.4riders.ski/index_en.html


looks promising with GPS start & finish location
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
This looks good but keeps freezing on my iPad when I scroll around the map
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Thanks for the suggestions guys. First snow's on the hills out here so hopefully wont be too long before I can give some of them a go.
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+1 iphigenie, Have seen local guides in France using it

Any experience with whiterisk.sh? I think they have also mobile app and route building.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@ed48, Im a professional user of whiterisk, and use it more for the educational aspect of coaching folks on route pre planning and avalanche hazard avoidance.

Something that is also well worth folks signing up to is MountainHub, (recently been bought by Mammot) https://mountainhub.com it's a global community with added input from professional mountain users who update with avalanches seen/witness as well as snow conditions and test pits etc.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
motdoc wrote:
On a side topic, iPhones turn off way quicker than Samsung phones in the cold in my experience. Apparently its do to with battery temperature protection. I found iPhone pretty useless S7 lasts all day.


My iPhone has never turned off because it was cold. That's iPhones over the last 10 years, pretty much every model.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
choucas wrote:
I would not rely on any thing battery powered as my sole source of information off piste or touring. I use an app as an amusement, and have even carried a battery recharger. But in the cold, anything can happen to battery driven gadgets. Map and compass and know how to use them.


Makes you wonder about your Transceiver, or a battery powered avi bag.

Must be such a faff to carry a sextent around all the time.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
www.openstreetmap.org is good for footpaths.
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 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
bar shaker wrote:

Makes you wonder about your Transceiver, or a battery powered avi bag.
Must be such a faff to carry a sextent around all the time.


I think lithium batteries are most sensitive to the cold. Alkalines used in most avi transceivers are little bit better, also its advised to wear them under the jacket.
If you keep the phone close to the body under the jacket, it should be fine. Also its advised to keep all batteries for emergencies under the jacket close to the body. If you store your emergencies phone in the backpack, it will be dead in no time.
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@gvj, Viewranger, same maps as French IGN 1:25k and same mapping as iphigenie on my iPhone.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/NYUSYBvHxUMDwprr5
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
What about phone vs beacon interference seeing as the context of the discussion is off-piste ? I generally have my phone off if not on piste.

As stated above, get a map and compass and learn how to use them. Phones are fine as an aid or for convenience but I would never rely solely on technology
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
@gvj,
In what way do you wish to use the mapping app? As the answer to that will be far more useful in people replies as to what app may be best.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@Markhandford,sure, take your point; really just wanted to get a heads up on what's available these days. No way would I be relying on a phone as my primary or only navigation tool - I've been using a map and compass for (gulp) around 45 years!
Thanks all for your suggestions and feedback.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
The mammut done a research few years ago on electronic inferferense with the avi beacon. The result was that in send mode you should keep all ectronics at least 20cm away from the beacon, and 50cm in search mode.

http://www.mammutavalanchesafety.com/2014/10/electrical-interference.html?m=1
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
I take my hat off to all you guys who use paper maps and compasses on the mountain!

In fact was thinking about the nuances of navigation yesterday when I was out ski touring in an area I know well.

Light however was very flat and along with snow it's very hard to determine features, when touring you don't want to climb up only to have to descend because you dropped a clanger so you have to visually read the terrain and when light is flat that is hard to do.

Yesterday I could not follow the normal ski tour route due to lack of snow cover so I had to go well off the normal route.

For years I've used MemoryMap on my Laptop to determine / plan routes, and then I have the app on my phone so when I'm actually out on the mountain I can double check where I am.

With failing eyesight and in bright sunny conditions along with sweating like a pig that can throw up issues, and good few years ago thought I was following the blue line of the ski tour route but in fact I was following a stream / torrent, that was a lesson learnt Toofy Grin

So the big blue dashed lines are ski tour routes, and they tend to follow a gradient that is always on the ascent or traverse and on the whole are safer in aspect, though that can not obviously be guaranteed.

But I have seen people skinning up to the same area and yet be only 30m or so left or right of the actual route and end up in more exposed terrain, hence I always try to follow the Blue line.



Yesterday I was testing my Garmin Mini InReach tracking functions and texting, then later I added the actual ski tour route (red) and you can see my track up (to the right of the red route).



Today if the weather clears I want to try and use the EarthMate App which will use the map above on the phone.

And if I go out you can follow me on https://eur-share.inreach.garmin.com/gavlar

Friend is trying to compile an App on ski tour routes in our area, he did do a very good one on Via Ferratas, however he is finding it quite difficult to do especially for imagery (wanted to use my drone), plus he's already getting grief from locals as he might identifying less well known routes.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@Weathercam, when I'm out I have a map and compass with me. Can't remember the last time I had to use it though! That's why I started the thread Smile
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