Photo © Erriko Boccia
Our smart phones have become an essential part of our lives and that’s no less true when we’re out exploring Snowdon. We’re very used to taking summit selfies and phoning our loved ones when we’re safely on our way home but there are also some amazing apps to make your mountain day easier, more enjoyable and they could even save your life.
OS Maps from Ordnance Survey is the gold standard of smart phone navigation apps for the countryside which is exactly what you’d expect from the UK’s national mapping agency.
As well as being able to find yourself on a map wherever you are you can also create your own routes and get access to thousands of public routes created by others as well as professionally authored walks from BBC Countryfile, Country Walking, Mountain Bike UK, Trail and AA Walks and more. You can map out your route in advance on your home computer and it will automatically sync to your smart phone ready for you to follow and if you’re worried about losing your signal you can download maps to view offline. There’s also some cool augmented reality features for identifying hills and mountains.
Whilst the app does have a number of free features you’ll need to subscribe to get access to crucial Explorer (1:25k) and Landranger (1:50k) mapping however this costs less than the price of a cup of coffee for a month’s access or if you’re a regular hill walker a 12 month subscription is the equivalent of £2 a month.
Snowdon Summit Weather from MountainXperience is a very simple concept. Why mess about browsing multiple websites to try and find out what the weather will be like on Snowdon when you get fast, accurate Met Office weather data from a dedicated app on your iOS device.
Updated throughout the day, the app provides a three-hourly weather summary for the next five days including the probability of precipitation, actual temperature, ‘feels like’ temperature, visibility, wind direction, speed and gusts for the summit of Snowdon.
The app is sponsored by local mountain professionals MountainXperience so is free to download and use.
OS Locate also from Ordnance Survey is an instant and highly accurate means of pinpointing your exact location anywhere in Great Britain. If you’ve lost your bearings on Snowdon or would just like a little reassurance then OS Locate is the ideal companion for enthusiasts of the great outdoors.
The app converts GPS location readings from your phone to Ordnance Survey National Grid references so you can determine precisely where you are on an Ordnance Survey map and doesn’t require a mobile signal to function as the inbuilt GPS system can be relied upon even in the most remote areas.
OS Locate is packed with additional features such as the ‘share’ button which allows you to connect with friends and family via messaging and social media to let them know where you are, how your trek is progressing and what time you expect to be home. It also includes a digital compass to take bearings always ensuring you are on the right track.
The app is absolutely free and anyone who spends time in the mountains should have this installed on their smart phone.
what3words is a simple app with a very clever idea. The technology has divided the world into three metre squares and given each one a unique combination of three words such as ///tinned.prompts.juggled. This is a much simpler way of giving an accurate location than the long string of numbers that make up latitude and longitude coordinates or an Ordnance Survey National Grid reference.
It’s becoming much more widespread and is regularly used by mountain rescue services to help pinpoint casualties in remote regions.
The app is free and very easy to use and should be installed on every smart phone.
Snowdon Walks App has been created by the Snowdonia National Park Authority and its partners responsible for the on-the-ground management of the mountain.
The simple to use GPS-enabled app covers the six main paths to the summit of Snowdon with detailed route maps that track your progress as you climb. The app also works offline which means you don’t need an internet or phone signal when using the app on the mountain. Each map also includes contour information so you can look out for hazardous sections as you climb.
You can also get help to plan ahead before your visit and includes important advice which will allow you to help us respect, care, and protect this incredible mountain, the surrounding environment and local communities.
The app is available for £1.99 from your mobile device’s app store.
That’s right! Snowdon Experts is also available on its own app! Get all the information and resources from our website on your iOS device.
In the app you’ll find answers to every question you’ve ever had about Snowdon and more. There are detailed route plans for the six main Snowdon footpaths as well as a selection of other popular Snowdon walks. The app tells you how to hire a mountain guide to take the stress out of your day, find your favourite Snowdon accommodation options and offer hints and tips to make your Snowdon ascent special.
It’s free of charge and an essential app for anyone planning to visit Snowdon.
Hill Lists is a fantastic collection of 20,000 hills and mountains around the UK and Ireland beautifully categorised into over 80 lists including Munros, Corbetts, Wainwrights and more. Sourced from the Database of British and Irish Hills (DoBIH) which has been providing a comprehensive and up-to-date resource for walkers since 1999.
The app lets you filter hills based on popular lists, view an interactive map to see what’s around you or search by a whole variety of criteria. You can also log and keep track of your ascents.
One of our favourite lists is the Trail 100, the definitive collection of the 100 UK peaks all hillwalkers must climb at least once in their lives.
Whether you’re a serious walker planning complete the Wainwrights or just casually looking for inspiration this is an essential app for all.
The app is only available on Apple devices and costs £1.99.
