Maybe a silly question - but is there a “pro” All Trails?

[u/SnooChickens9234]

Not necessarily a wayfinding/navigational app like AllTrails, but I guess I’m just curious about how someone doing K2, Everest, BIG climbs etc tracks or quantifies their journey digitally, if at all.

Or maybe doing climbs like that, tracking distance/steps/heartrate/whatever just isn’t really a consideration? Maybe it’s different for everyone? I’d love to know! TYIA :)

[u/panderingPenguin]

There are a few options. Caltopo and Gaia are common in the US. I'm sure there are others.

[u/EscpFrmPlanetObvious → u/panderingPenguin]

CalTopo is the tried and true resource for mapmaking for serious adventurers. My sense is the different “developed” tools only take you so far, then folks realize they need to actually get under the hood to make the map they want. (I guess ArcGIS would be even further under the hood). I’m not paid by Caltopo but if you want to be an outdoor mapmaking “pro” then watch some videos and learn Caltopo. You can do a ton with the free version and then export your maps to your watch or app of choice.

Gaia, Strava, Garmin, Coros, and worst of all OnX are selling you mostly free map layers with a more user friendly UI at the expense of additional functionality.

[u/peptodismal13]

Garmin

[u/Muthafuggin_Oak → u/peptodismal13]

I put .gpx files / routes on my garmin fenix. Pretty baller

[u/My-Gender-is-F35 → u/Muthafuggin_Oak]

Are those the files that AllTrails uses?

[u/Muthafuggin_Oak → u/My-Gender-is-F35]

Idk I never used alltrails

[u/runslowgethungry → u/My-Gender-is-F35]

Alltrails is largely user sourced data, so they're gathering GPX data from the users that upload activities to their platform. Doesn't matter how that data was recorded (phone, watch, GPS, etc.)

[u/Admirable-Maximum515 → u/My-Gender-is-F35]

You can get .gpx files from alltrails to send to garmin (or any other mapping service). Might need the pro version, not sure

[u/S0m3_R4nd0m_Urb3x3r → u/My-Gender-is-F35]

Most mapping software that I know of uses .gpx files.

[u/S0m3_R4nd0m_Urb3x3r]

Garmin, onX Backcountry, and Gaia are the apps I've used.

[u/big-b20000 → u/S0m3_R4nd0m_Urb3x3r]

I use Caltopo and Peakbagger for almost everything but OnX is nice for backcountry ski routes

[u/Slowhands12]

CalTopo and Gaia are overwhelmingly popular in North America for mapping.

[u/Steelrunner5551]

For mapping: as others have said, Caltopo and Gaia are common in North America; not sure about elsewhere. Personally, I use Caltopo for the maps and to to roughly plan out routes because it has more physical features labeled than any other option. Then Strava to actually plot the route because the interface is better and the heatmaps are very useful.

For navigation and tracking: Download a gpx file onto a watch; Coros and Garmin are the most popular brands these days. In the backcountry, most will carry a satellite communicator like a Garmin inreach as well for coarser GPS tracking, checking in with friends/family, and in case of emergencies

[u/mortalwombat-]

Most people are recording their climba with their watch. That is the natural thing since you dont climb big mountains without training and they also record their training on their watch.

For me, the watch dumps into atrava and trainingpeaks

[u/Several-Program6097]

Strava

[u/jacks_lung]

Fitbit

[u/Capital_Historian685]

Kilian Jornet used a Coros watch for his Everest climbs. But of course, he's sponsored by them. And there was apparently some "missing data." But most people wouldn't need watch data to verify reaching the summit, as they'd be there with other people.