Testing useful applications in the mountains

We present applications useful both on the mountain trails and on the ski slopes. Thanks to them you will get to know many ski slopes, ski lifts and ski resorts in Poland.

mGOPR

This app was supposed to appear on Google Play and the App Store in December 2015. At the time of going to press, we judge it a little blindly, based on announcements and preliminary descriptions of the functionality, and not on our own tests. According to many, it must be something extremely interesting and useful. Thanks to him, we will notify the appropriate services in the blink of an eye and call them to the right place. This will help us the exact location of the victim. The app will of course be free. Transition Technologies prepared it together with the Beskydy branch of the Mountain Rescue Service. In the screenshots available before the official launch, you can see the interface as well as a screen that allows you to enter data about our hiking plans - including, of course, deselecting the planned route. In this case, it will be tantamount to handing it over to the GOPR rescuers (just in case). In addition, thanks to the application, we will learn the basic principles of first aid and how to prepare for a mountain hike.

Screenshot from Szlaki Tatry app

Tatra trails

The most important function of this application is the time counter of the road we are interested in, integrated with the search for the best route. All you need to do is enter the starting point of the trail and the end point of the trip on the map, and the application will automatically determine the fastest or shortest option, select it on the map and display details such as the estimated time of the transition, the distance traveled, the sum of the ascents and descents and the approximate degree of difficulty. In addition to an interactive trail map, the application offers a search for places to see or information about the height of peaks, passes and other landmarks. The app is free and does not show any ads. The authors count on the ratings, opinions and suggestions of users, promising to gradually enrich the application with new features. Szlaki Tatry Manufactured by Mateusz Gaczkowski Android platform Feature score 8/10 Ease of use 8/10 Overall score 8/10 mGOPR Manufacturer Transition Technologies Platform Android, iOS Feature score 9/10 Ease of use NA / 10 Overall score 9/10 55

Snow Safe

The SnowSafe app is based on the official avalanche information bulletins published by the relevant emergency services for the mountainous regions of Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Slovakia. Updates for the Slovak part of the High Tatras are carried out on an ongoing basis, i.e. what appears on the site is immediately available on the phone. The graphic designation of the degree of avalanche danger is supplemented by a detailed description and a schematic map. An interesting addition is a well-calibrated inclinometer, thanks to which we can quickly determine the approximate slope of the slope we are on. The feedback tab allows you to send information about observed weather events, avalanches, local conditions, etc. as a text file. SnowSafe determines the user's location using the GPS installed in the smartphone and provides information about the state of the snow cover to his location. Avalanche danger data is transmitted to the smartphone as soon as it appears on regional sites that collect data on the state of the snow cover.  

tourist map

A tourist map is, as its creators write, “an application designed to facilitate planning mountain hikes and help you navigate your route.” Its range covers selected mountain ranges in Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia and requires a network connection (online maps) to work effectively. The main functionality is the ability to plan routes along hiking trails in the mountains and foothills. The application easily and quickly calculates the route, displays its detailed course on the map, shows the length and approximate travel time. It also indicates the user's current location. The second important functionality is the ability to record routes. Their course on the map, their length and duration are fixed. We recently added the ability to export recorded routes to a gpx file. The files are saved in the download folder in the phone memory. In addition, the application displays information about interesting places, as well as photos and user reviews based on data from mapa-turystyczna.pl. The app also offers smart suggestions in the place finder, considering the options closest to our location and the most popular areas, as well as showing the direction of travel on the map. Social information about the places you are looking for is also displayed - photos and user reviews from the site mapa-turystyczna.pl.

Screenshot from the SKIRaport application

SKIRAport

In this application you can find information about more than 150 km of ski slopes, 120 ski lifts and 70 ski resorts in Poland. They are constantly updated by users. Thanks to the image from the online cameras located on the slopes, you can constantly monitor the situation on the route. The developers of the application also provide detailed maps of slopes and routes, information about the current lifts and cable cars, as well as the nearest services and accommodation. The weather forecasts offered by the application come from the YR.NO website. News about the conditions on the ski slopes is constantly updated. In addition, SKIRaport also has complete information about the various attractions on the slopes, as well as a system of ratings and comments made by other skiers - users of the site. It should also be noted the full integration with e-Skipass.pl, so you can buy an e-Skipass through Mastercard Mobile and take advantage of the offer of more than fifty ski resorts.