In the following, I would like to use the example of the tour to the Seekarspitze on Lake Achensee to illustrate how the whole thing works on the computer.
During the planning...
The tour module on the website whiterisk.ch/tour is divided into the four subcategories 1. plan route, 2. assess conditions, 3. further preparations and 4. share and take along.
After selecting the country - in the first step - I end up in the central planning tool, where I can select the four subcategories at any time and jump back and forth between them.
The search function for places and peaks is fast and works well in my case, although the function in Austria is significantly less comprehensive in terms of places or hamlets than in Switzerland. This is most likely simply due to the poorer database of the underlying map material.
Various overlays can be selected in the map material. However, only the Swiss maps have many layers. Here, however, the app shines with the integration of the latest hazard maps (CAT, ATH) and is therefore at the cutting edge of research in this area. In addition to the topo maps, slope layers are also available for Austria and France.
Plotting the route is simple and intuitive. You can color-code routes, draw in alternatives, easily extend routes or adjust their course or delete individual waypoints.
My tour to the Seekarspitze on Lake Achensee first runs along a forest path before continuing in open terrain on a wooded ridge and finally a ridge to the summit.
The route is always drawn in freehand mode, which I personally like, as a selection function (e.g. on outdooractive) between freehand and using paths makes it much more fiddly and therefore less attractive to use.
The tour planning tool is suitable for all ability levels, from beginners to professionals, thanks to the always available knowledge content on the various aspects (folded in as a light bulb at the top right-hand edge of the map).
In addition, there is also the option of setting key points and evaluating these again separately in order to make an active decision during the tour.
The assessment of the key points is implemented excellently in the planning tool and in the app. Visual aids, such as the graphical reduction method, are combined with checklists of important factors for assessing the slope.
In my case, it becomes clear that the large, fairly homogeneous east-facing slope, which is 40 degrees steep in parts, generates three exclamation marks - which once again points out the generally unfavorable terrain formation. In rather mediocre conditions, you really have no business on this tour.
My second key point referred to a possible alternative descent, which is even steeper in places and possibly more at risk of falling. We actually skied the alternative on the tour, as the conditions allowed it and the main route had already been skied diligently.
The checklists in particular are suitable for beginners and pros alike. It's not for nothing that pilots use checklists for many areas, which can of course be completed all the more quickly with a great deal of knowledge.
Also well done is the time estimation of the tour, which can be adjusted again. It offers just enough options to differentiate between snowshoe tours and ski tours, for example, but doesn't get bogged down in individual points that need to be defined. This is how good software design works!
The Assess conditions tab is again great for Switzerland, but still at least good for Austria, as you can access the respective avalanche warning services via functioning links. The assessment questions show that the Swiss bulletin was used as a basis. For example, there is no option to specify an altitude-dependent avalanche warning level, which is frequently indicated by the respective warning services in Tyrol, Vorarlberg and Bavaria, but is rarely practiced in Switzerland and was therefore probably not included.
In further preparations, various planning aspects regarding the group composition, skills of the individual participants (human factor) and the comparison of the planned tour and the prevailing conditions are queried again using a checklist. This can be done very quickly with the same tour participants, but is a valuable reflection tool, especially for guided tours.
Finally, under Share and take away it is possible to send the tour as a link to other participants or to download and print a summary of the tour with a map as a PDF.
In addition, it is possible to export the tour data as a GPS track or route, as well as import existing GPS tracks and edit them.
Tour planning is also possible on the smartphone in the app and works surprisingly well on the small displays. In the current iOS version, you can use the main functions that also characterize the online planning tool on the website. I can easily set key points in the app, rate them and make additional notes on conditions and people. The app is not yet as advanced on Android, but the SLF has assured us that updates will ensure the same range of functions as on iOS.
