Using GPS Tracks
Many hikers are happy to simply follow way markers or maps while others are grateful for the detailed turn-by-turn directions in their Route Notes.
But these days more and more people are looking for GPS tracks of their walking routes that they can display on their smartphone or GPS receiver. Those tracks can be a great aid to confirm that you are following the correct route. (For more information on GPS, what it is and how it works see further below)
Note: If you are using GPS for navigation, please read the ‘Disclaimer & Navigating Safely’ notice below in order to make yourself aware of the potential issues that can arise when using GPS navigation.
Disclaimer & Navigating Safely
The most important means for navigation should be the directions in our route notes, the way markers (where they exist), and the maps we provide.
Although using GPS navigation may be your preferred option while on your tour, please be aware that there can be important info in relation to the trail / your tour within our route notes, therefore, be sure to always check our route notes in conjunction with the GPS tracks so as not to miss anything.
Whilst we take every care to ensure files are accurate at the time they have been created, they may not include short term diversions, trail closures or possible later changes to the route.
Additionally, we do not recommend that you use GPS tracks as the only tool for navigation. While it is tempting to use GPS tracks as your only guide for a hike, they will often not reflect the latest changes to a route or necessary local knowledge (and, unlike a map, they do not work if they run out of battery).
When using GPS to navigate on a hike, it is important to know that satellite reception can be disturbed. Fog, deep forests or mountain ranges can all mean that the determination of your position becomes less precise, fails or takes longer.
In addition, when using GPS, the power consumption of a GPS receiver or smartphone can be relatively high. It is advisable to always have spare batteries or a power bank with you and / or to keep an eye on the battery indicator as you hike.
Disclaimer: By downloading these files, you acknowledge that walks are undertaken entirely at your own risk and that Hillwalk Tours can accept no responsibility or liability, nor gives any warranty, as to the accuracy of these files. Likewise, you acknowledge that Hillwalk Tours is the owner of the file data and it is made available to download only for your own personal use. It must not be made available to download from other websites.
Gaia GPS
For your convenience, we are making our GPS data available on Gaia GPS, one of the world’s most popular GPS navigational apps.
In order to view our trails via Gaia GPS on your mobile device, you first need to;
- Download & install the Gaia GPS app on your phone or tablet. Head to the App Store or the Play Store on your device to download the app for free.
- Create an account with Gaia GPS. (The Free plan is sufficient for using our maps, however if you wish to have more flexibility and features, then you may wish to sign up to the Premium plan of Gaia GPS).
- Ensure that the ‘Location Service’ setting is enabled on your mobile / tablet device to allow for GPS navigation.
Note:
- If you have signed up to the Free GAIA GPS account, for navigation on the trail, you will need to have mobile data enabled and network availability on your device for GPS navigation to work.
- If you sign up to the Premium version of the app, it will allow you to download the maps from GAIA to your device for offline use. You can then use the maps and our GPS tracks without any internet connection.
Below (or in your Hillwalk Tours account), you will find a link to the GPS information for your chosen trail on Gaia GPS.
After selecting your trail and clicking the link, your mobile device might prompt / ask you which app you would like to open the link with. It is important that you always open the link using the GAIA GPS app, (as navigation is not available if accessing GAIA GPS via a web browser e.g. chrome, safari etc.). Once you open the link with the GAIA GPS app, from here you will see all the pre loaded GPS information for your tour.
Once you have loaded the trail in the GAIA app, we recommend that you click the ‘Save Offline’ button. This will save our GPS Tracks & Waypoints to the ‘Saved’ section within the app, making it easier to navigate and find the tracks at later points.
From here, you should also be able to see & select the track for the full trail (typically named, ‘Full Main Route’, ‘Complete Trail’, etc.). If you select and click into this track, it should display the track on the map, and from here you should also see a ‘Guide Me’ option. Click this ‘Guide Me’ option to begin your navigation along the trail.
For certain trails, you may also find a folder with waypoints and tracks for alternative or additional routes.
Please note that the provided GPS data can be used for all tours for that trail and is not limited to any specific itinerary. The GPS information usually contains the full trail, i.e. the entire route (not limited to any smaller, itinerary specific segments of the trail), as well as a separate folder with important waypoints and additional GPS tracks, such as alternative routes, diversions, shortcuts, or links from the trail to nearby villages that serve as trailheads. All of this GPS information is meant to be used in conjunction with the Route Notes and the Personalised Itinerary in your Walking Pack. The GPS data does not contain the routes between the trailheads and your accommodations. These are described in your Personalised itinerary.
In a rush? You can save and store GAIA GPS instructions for later here: www.hillwalktours.com/gaia-gps-instructions.pdf
View GPS Tracks on Gaia GPS
Please select the country and then your chosen trail from the tabs below in order to navigate to the GPS tracks of your trail on Gaia GPS:
If there is an issue with any of our Gaia GPS tracks, please contact us at info@hillwalktours.com and we will endeavor to rectify the issue as soon as possible.
Can I use other GPS Navigational Apps or Devices for Navigation?
As one of the world’s most popular GPS navigational apps, with extensive features, functionality & flexibility for users, we decided to make our GPS tracks available on the Gaia GPS platform.
Should you wish to use our GPS data with other navigational apps or devices of your choice, you can do so by downloading the GPS tracks zip folder of your chosen trail from your Hillwalk Tours account, or by opening your chosen trail on Gaia GPS. There, you can download the GPS data, under the ‘Data’ menu item, as a GPX file, as well as in KML or GeoJSON format.
Please note that we can’t guarantee that the tracks will load correctly on other applications & devices as this is often determined by how an application / device reads the file. For example, most problems with GPX file incompatibility are due to various software providers adding additional information that is not compatible with all devices and programs that can use GPX files i.e. other devices / programs cannot open a GPX file where there is additional information it doesn’t know how to read.
Google Maps for Navigation?
Currently, we do not advise using Google Maps for off-road navigation. While Google Maps has improved in the last number of years for off-road hiking use, we cannot recommend it yet for navigation on our trails.
For example, Google Maps may occasionally not show existing paths or tracks that are suggest to you for navigation. Google Maps just haven’t added those routes to their maps yet. Therefore, it is best to choose a mapping application that provides access to more detailed maps which have been designed for off-road hiking.
Other FAQ’s
What is GPS?
GPS stands for Global Positioning System and was developed by the US military in the 1970s. With the help of 24 satellites, this technology is used to determine locations around the world. A GPS device receives signals from the satellites and calculates its own position.
Over the last two decades, the use of GPS (Global Positioning System) devices has become common to aid navigation on the hills, whilst over the last couple of years many Smartphones equipped with GPS technology have been used for the same purpose.
How does GPS work?
(Adapted from walkhighlands.co.uk)
Both stand-alone GPS devices, and smartphones with GPS technology, work by receiving signals from a series of satellites set up by the US military. The GPS receiver in your mobile device compares the very precise time signals it receives from the satellites with its internal clock. Knowing the location of the satellites, the speed the radio signal travels at (speed of light) and when the signals were sent and received, your device can calculate your distance from each satellite, and thereby determine your longitude, latitude and altitude.
What does GPS actually do?
(Adapted from walkhighlands.co.uk)
There are a range of GPS devices and smartphone apps that have widely different functionality. At the more basic end, the GPS device or app may give you your current coordinates or grid reference so you can then use this to help to navigate with your paper map. Many devices will let you pre-plot a route using mapping software on your PC (such as Memory Map etc.), or download a prepared route from elsewhere. The line of the pre-planned route is then often shown on the screen.
At the top of the range are GPS devices and smartphone apps that allow you to purchase high quality maps (for example Ordnance Survey maps 1:25 000 or 1:50 000) which are then stored so they can be shown on your device (overlaid with any pre-planned route), with your current position marked.
Do you need a mobile phone signal for GPS to work on smartphones?
(Adapted from walkhighlands.co.uk)
No. There is some confusion in that, if a mobile signal is available to them, Smartphones may use something called Assisted GPS to gain the approximate location from the phone signal. The mobile signal is then used to speed up the calculation of the position fix from the GPS satellites. However, the availability of a phone signal has no effect on the eventual accuracy of GPS readings once a device has fixed its position; the purpose of a mobile signal is simply to get a fix faster when the GPS functionality is switched on. There are some apps that do require an internet signal to show mapping and navigation, and so are not likely to work in remote areas. However, there are many navigational apps which now offer offline access to maps etc.
How accurate are GPS devices?
(Adapted from walkhighlands.co.uk)
The first generation of consumer GPS devices gave an accuracy of around 15m, and often had difficulties getting a position fix in narrow valleys or where there was forestry cover. More recent devices and smartphones tend to now use High Sensitivity GPS which is much more effective in forestry, and can be accurate to around 4m once the device has established a good fix with a number of satellites.
What navigational app can I use?
We have pre-loaded all our GPS tracks to the navigational app, Gaia GPS. Gaia GPS is one of the world’s most popular GPS navigational apps, and is available on both Android and Apple smartphone devices.
If you prefer to use a different navigational app, you can download the GPS tracks from your Hillwalk Tours account or from our Gaia GPS map pages, and use the downloaded files in an alternative app (e.g. AllTrails, Komoot, BackCountry etc.) or device.
How can I use a GPX file on a GPS Device? (e.g. Garmin GPS Receiver)
To use the GPS tracks with your GPS device you usually have to download the GPS tracks (from either your Hillwalk Tours account or our Gaia GPS map page) to your desktop / laptop first. You can then plug in your GPS device and either transfer the GPX files directly to your device or use the software that came with your device to import the track to your device.
Most GPS devices will come with their own GPS software, but you may also find free GPS software online. If you have programs such as Memory-Map, Anquet or Garmin Base Camp, you will be able to import GPX files straight to your device. Other software, such as SatMap, require you to first convert the files before being able to transfer them.
What other things should I consider when using GPS?
Before using GPS to navigate on a hike, it is important to know that satellite reception can be disturbed. Fog, deep forests or mountain ranges can all mean that the determination of your position becomes less precise, fails or takes longer.
Please also note that when using GPS, the power consumption of a GPS receiver or smartphone can be relatively high. It is advisable to always have spare batteries or a power bank with you and / or to keep an eye on the battery indicator as you hike.
