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New app for backcountry users looks super interesting

fatbob

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Apple only.

Seems a good idea and being unambiguous about red zones probably helpful. However to be sufficiently conservative won't they have to skew to a state of near always red for certain aspects and gradients? Would be interesting to see how it changes throughout the season.
 

Wade

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Apple only.
Seems right.

If you’re going to be providing a user with live safety data, you presumably are relying to some extent on their hardware working the way you expect it to. That’s a lot easier to get comfortable with knowing all users are running the app on an iPhone than trying to make it work across the spectrum of manufacturers, features and quality levels of phones running android.
 

jmeb

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Been watching this -- pretty interesting. There is certainly significant user demand for applications that simplify terrain decisions in the backcountry. And any application that gets people to make better decisions is a good thing.

From what I have seen I don't believe they are avalanche forecasting (i.e. forecasting the likelihood/size/distribution/sensitivity of avalanches). It appears they are utilizing local public avalanche forecasts and draping them over terrain with slope/elevation/aspect considered. The "real-time info" seems to be users putting feedback on signs of instability into the application and having the day's avalanche forecast included.

As usual -- it's hard to tell exactly what the feature set will be at launch vs how it is spun pre-launch. For those who are interested in similar work done elsewhere -- the white risk application available in the Alps is probably the most advanced avalanche terrain mapping application for recreational users (https://whiterisk.ch/). Includes not only slope angles, but run outs and hazards estimations and is built in conjunction with SLF (the swiss forecasting agency).
 
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charlier

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For those who are interested in similar work done elsewhere -- the white risk application available in the Alps is probably the most advanced avalanche terrain mapping application for recreational users (https://whiterisk.ch/). Includes not only slope angles, but run outs and hazards estimations and is built in conjunction with SLF (the swiss forecasting agency).
The crux feature on White Risk is an excellent tool for tour planning. One advantage is that 1:10,000 maps are available throughout Switzerland. These maps are superb. The global open topographic map is not as detailed, nor reliable as the Swiss topographic maps. In addition, the SLF Swiss have integrated their own ATES classification within the White Risk app. In North America, there is not equivalent digital mapping tool for such ski tour route planning.
 

jmeb

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In addition, the SLF Swiss have integrated their own ATES classification within the White Risk app. In North America, there is not equivalent digital mapping tool for such ski tour route planning.

With the work on AutoATES starting to come out I expect we'll see some North American counterparts soon. But agree--we're a ways off from a White Risk level app in North America.
 

charlier

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The Swiss maps are super accurate. It will take some time for NAmerica to match the Crux functionality. as an aside, we are working with guidebook authors and mapping apps on autoATES, since autoATES has not fully identified terrain boundaries.
 

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