You don’t need much for hiking: good shoes, an efficiently packed backpack and a mobile phone with a fully charged battery. What you (maybe) still miss are these handy hiking apps that you can try out the next time you go hiking, mountaineering or mountain biking:
Peak Finder
If you want to indicate how many mountains you “know” during your next hike: PeakFinder knows the names of more than 950,000 mountains worldwide. By positioning your camera over the panorama, the app will show you the name of the mountain displayed. And this even if your mobile phone currently has no network.
Availability: iOS and Android
Price: one-off fee of 5 francs
PlantNet
Would you rather know the names of the alpine flowers instead of the mountains? No problem: with PlantNet you simply take your mobile phone out of your pocket, take a picture of the flower or tree and the database is used to determine the name of the relevant plant. With every photo you submit, you add another photo to the database – thus contributing to the most accurate plant identification possible.
Availability: iOS and Android
Price: free
mountaineer
This is what the app offers
The Bergfex database contains countless hiking routes with information about duration, distance and altitude profile. In addition to Switzerland, the app also suggests hikes in Germany, Austria, Italy and Slovenia. In addition, you can compile your own routes, which you can then follow during the walk.
The app is free. If you spend 22 francs per year for the Pro version, you can also call up the maps offline, get more detailed maps and zoom in closer.
Availability: iOS and Android
Price: free
SwitzerlandMobile
This is what the app offers
The SwitzerlandMobility app is also suitable for route planning: it provides an overview of all signposted hiking trails and countless routes for winter activities. It is also useful that, for example, public transport stops and accommodation options are visible.
If you take out a patron subscription for 35, you can also call up the maps offline and you will no longer have a problem if there is a blind spot. You can also follow your routes with a subscription.
Availability: iOS and Android
Price: free
Cosmos Bird Guide
The Kosmos bird guide is not only available in book form, but also as an app. It contains drawings, maps and texts with information about more than 200 birds. Suitable for bird experts and beginners alike, the app includes bird species from Europe, North Africa and the Near East.
Availability: iOS and Android
Price: one-off fee of 15 francs
sky guide
Sky Guide helps you understand the sky better. If you want to know what is in the starry sky above you, you can tune your mobile phone to it and see interesting information about it. The app shows you constellations, planets and satellites and works even when you are offline. The basic version is free, so that all constellations are unlocked, you pay CHF 2 extra.
Availability: iOS and Android
Price: free
regulation
Rega Air-Rescue’s free app can save lives in an emergency. For example, you can share your live location with friends or directly with Rega. In the event of an accident, the last location could be determined, which saves a lot of time during a search.
Availability: iOS and Android
Price: free
White Risk
If there is snow, downloading White Risk is recommended. The official app of the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research helps you plan safe routes through the snow. It provides you with snow and weather data and provides background information for assessing avalanche danger. White Risk is available for iOS and Android. The basic version with the avalanche bulletin and the publicly available snow data is available free of charge. The license to use the tour planning tool “TOUR” costs 29 francs.
Availability: iOS and Android
Price: free (basic version)
Source: Watson
I’m Ella Sammie, author specializing in the Technology sector. I have been writing for 24 Instatnt News since 2020, and am passionate about staying up to date with the latest developments in this ever-changing industry.
