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Despite the frequent lack of mobile coverage and internet access along the route, a phone can be a very useful tool in the mountains, and a computer can help you prepare for your trip at home. We asked our team leaders what useful and interesting apps and websites they use before and during your trek together.
We share with you proven offline maps, websites for checking the weather, route planning, and other sources of information. For convenience, we have divided all the information by topic to make it easier for you to navigate and find exactly those apps for hiking in the mountains that will really come in handy.
Mapy.com (or Mapy.cz)
The most common answer from our team leaders. This is a multilingual, simple, high-quality navigator that works well both online and offline (but offline in the paid version): download the region you need in advance, and the internet will no longer be so critical in the mountains. It features 3D terrain, summer/winter views of the area, and often marked official trails; sometimes there are photos of locations and short descriptions. The paid version costs about $20 per year with a 7-day trial period.
Organic Maps
A completely free offline version of maps of the regions of the world you need, with the ability to record your route. There are maps of metro systems, cycle routes and marked trails. Each region is downloaded separately; if you are planning a route that passes through several regions/areas, the app offers to download them as a single package.
The application can be used without creating an account or accessing geolocation, which significantly enhances personal data protection. However, if you need to record a track, you will need to log in to your account and grant permissions.
This application was created by the developers who also created maps.me, but left the project in protest against privacy violations and behavioural data collection. After 2020, maps.me changed owners several times. Part of the infrastructure and business interests were linked to the russian market and companies operating there.
Other similar applications mentioned included Google Earth and OsmAnd+. All of the leaders emphasise that data needs to be checked against several maps in order to get a complete picture of the future route. Very often, in order to access important features such as relief shading or contour lines, you need to purchase paid versions.
The main rule that every traveller should remember when visiting any mountains in the world is that the weather there changes very quickly. Different forecasting models can show different scenarios, so our team leaders check forecasts from several sources at once.
Ventusky
Convenient because it shows the weather on maps: fronts, precipitation, atmospheric processes. Good for understanding where rain or snow fronts are moving.
A practical nuance: according to team leaders, temperature and wind at different altitudes may not be ideal, so it is better to combine information from Ventusky with other services.
Windguru
One of the favourite tools for assessing wind and other parameters, as it provides access to several forecast models. If you are planning to go to the ridge, Windguru often helps to soberly assess the conditions. According to reviews, it perfectly shows the wind strength at altitude in the ICON model.
An inconspicuous but very practical way to quickly see visibility, fog, and snow conditions in real time. - photos and videos from webcams Bukovel, Dragobrat, Pylypets and other locations in Ukraine.
Not only navigation during the hike is important, but also the preparatory stage. When planning, it is important to find tracks, evaluate available options, and form routes. The following hiking apps and websites can help you with this.
Judise
The team leaders mentioned this website as a tool for working with routes at home on a computer. The idea is simple: plan your route in advance so that you don't waste time on additional orientation during the hike.
Here, you can plot a track point by point and then download it as a file to import into other devices or programmes, such as Garmin.
AllTrails
The functionality is available for both PC users and in the mobile app (iOS and Android); you can explore and record tracks, view statistics, and sometimes reviews. Some features may be paid, but it is a good tool as a basis for ideas and comparisons.
Wikiloc
Similar logic: track recording, analysis, convenient route search. There are apps for both iOS and Android-based mobile devices. It also contains offline maps in the app.
You need to familiarise yourself with these apps and learn how to use them. If you don't want to spend time planning your route yourself, the Kuluar tourist club already has many cool trekking programmes. All you have to do is choose the one you like best in terms of difficulty, direction and mood, and the team has already thought of everything else in advance.
A responsible attitude is the key to a successful trip and safe return home, even when you cannot reach the summit due to difficult conditions. To stay up to date with the latest weather information in the Carpathians (in particular, on the Chornogora Ridge), receive timely warnings and important updates, we recommend subscribing to official page of the Carpathian rescuers on Facebook.
Mountain rescuers are based on Mount Pip Ivan Chornohirskyi. Every day, they publish a short summary of the weather on the mountain (sometimes also from other Carpathian locations): temperature, wind direction and speed, visibility.
“Rescue in the mountains” or just “Rescue”
These are official applications from the State Emergency Service, developed based on the Polish application Ratunek.
Our team leaders note: before going to the Carpathians registration with mountain rescuers – Mandatory! When you go hiking with the Kuluar tourist club, this registration is carried out by the team leaders themselves. But if you are going to the Carpathians with your own company or solo, these simple steps really help in case of force majeure circumstances.
By registering in the app, you send information about the size of your group and your route to the mountain rescue service. In the event of an emergency during your hike, this app will send an SOS signal with your coordinates to the operator, who will then forward it to the rescuers. The app will also help you call the rescue service operator (if you have a connection) so that you don't waste time looking for a phone number.
Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service in Ivano-Frankivsk Region on their page provides links to two versions of the app: Mountain Rescue and Rescue (available for two operating systems). However, the first app has not been updated for several years, so there may be malfunctions or it may be impossible to download. In this case, it is better to use the newer Rescue app.
PlantNet
Identifies plants from photos. Very useful in groups where people are interested in nature.
Important note: requires an internet connection. Life hack from team leaders – take photos without a connection, then identify them from your gallery when you have a connection.
Merlin Bird ID
An official app from Cornell University's ornithology laboratory in New York. It helps identify birds by their song and photo and register the location of a specific bird. A great tool for those who enjoy bird watching, and not only in the mountains — the app works perfectly in the city. One significant drawback is that you still need an internet connection for instant bird recognition by their voice, but the app allows you to save audio recordings or photos offline and identify the bird as soon as you have a connection. All the birds you have searched for in the database are saved in your account history, so you can always return to the list and remember which bird you saw and where.
PeakFinder or PeakVisor
Both help you identify the mountain peaks around you in 3D or even augmented reality, preserving all the nuances of the surrounding landscapes. In addition, these apps also allow you to plan hiking routes, search for shelters, and track your progress with GPS.
Unfortunately, PeakFinder is only available for purchase (the price is relatively low), while PeakVisor can be downloaded for free (full name – Skiing and Hiking - PeakVisor) with unlimited access available for purchase directly in the app.
Altimeter (any convenient application)
A separate useful category is altimeters for determining current altitude. The names in app stores vary, so it is easiest to search for Altimeter and select based on ratings/reviews. It is important that your phone supports the altitude detection feature.
Sun Surveyor
Some of our team leaders are professional photographers who love to "hunt" for great shots. So they recommend this app to those who also need to know where the sunrise/sunset will be, the position of the sun, and so on, in order to wait for the perfect natural lighting for their shot.
Star Walk 2
This app is for those who are interested in the differences between the Big Dipper and Orion, and where to find Orion's Belt. In other words, the app will help you understand which stars, planets, and constellations you see in the dark night sky. In addition, it will notify you of solar and lunar eclipses, meteor showers and other astronomical phenomena.
When hiking, the night sky is more beautiful than ever, because there is no light pollution — and this is one of millions of wonderful reasons to go to the mountains more often.
Let your smartphone work for you: show you the way, tell you the weather, save your track, help you in case of force majeure, and supplement your routes with new interesting knowledge about our world. Use the tools wisely: check maps and forecasts, analyse trails; if in doubt, choose the safer option. May each of your trips to the mountains give you unforgettable impressions.
And if you're going to the mountains, go with Kuluar!