Featured Picture: Courtesy of onX
In the event you’ve dabbled with backcountry journey earlier than, you’re seemingly conscious of the numerous platforms that exist that will help you plan an tour. Few, if any, examine to onX Backcountry. When it comes to consumer expertise, ease, knowledgeable info and talent, there isn’t any substitute. With current developments in each their summer season and winter modes, we thought it was time to interrupt down the brand new and improved onX Backcountry, and why the FREESKIER crew trusts it year-round. It’s necessary we point out that this isn’t a paid advert. That is merely a device that we predict you as our passionate reader ought to pay attention to, and know how you can use it so you possibly can have all the knowledge when deciding how you can journey.
onX has been an industry-disrupting firm since its inception in 2009. With the launch of the unique onX Hunt App in 2013, the corporate cemented itself as one of the crucial trusted sources for land use and entry info. Eric Siegfried based the corporate with the aim of offering correct land information in an accessible, customizable, user-friendly method. Each hunters and explorers of every kind immediately acknowledged the worth of onX, having offline entry to digitized maps detailing topography, elevation, land possession and extra.
The corporate has modified in some ways over the past decade, with the onX Backcountry platform being a comparatively current innovation that’s geared towards a number of audiences. Particularly, its focused makes use of are snowboarding, climbing, biking and climbing. That is the primary summer season that there can be found modes for every of those 4 actions, with intensive overlap in between. This makes the consumer expertise simple and means you don’t should relearn the platform whenever you change between modes. It’s additionally price noting that whereas fishing just isn’t a listed mode within the app, this may be a particularly useful device for anglers, whether or not you’re navigating a big river or heading to an alpine lake.
We’ll break down the brand new editions to the app for 2024 and our favourite options that can help on all of your summer season actions. We’ll additionally check out the revolutionary options included within the snowboarding mode so you can begin to learn to use the app forward of this winter.
There are two main bulletins for this summer season:
There’s a mode for that: For the primary time this season, customers have the choice to navigate through Hike/Backpack, Mountain Bike, or Climb modes that current differentiated and related information primarily based on the customers wants.
We all know a man: onX Backcountry has teamed up with 25 Native Consultants to curate lists of really useful climbing, backpacking and mountain biking routes which might be designated throughout the app.
The spine of the platform stays the identical, however utilizing every mode permits you to higher embark in your climbing, biking or climbing mission. By toggling totally different map layers, customers can see totally different info, from land possession to 3D representations. You’ll be able to even use onX that will help you discover the place it’s you need to go, as you’ll find trails and routes throughout america; 70,500+ miles of them to be exact. These embody guidebook-like particulars which were included and vetted due to a crew of over 25 Native Consultants unfold throughout the nation. Along with the tens of 1000’s of path miles, the app additionally provides you entry to:
60,000+ campgrounds and dispersed campsites
500,000+ factors of curiosity
975+ million acres of public land
Descriptive land entry maps
3D geologically-accurate representations
300,000+ climbing routes that will help you discover trad, sport, ice and blended climbs, in addition to bouldering routes and assist climbs spanning single and multi-pitch routes
170,000+ miles of motorcycle trails to mountain, gravel, and offroad e-bike
Filters
Want some recommendation on the place to move? You’ll be able to simply discover the best place to move due to quite a lot of filters. The Hike and Bike Filters allow you to discover trails that meet your required size, problem and elevation achieve. You’ll be able to even discover trails that do and don’t enable canine and electrical bikes. Within the Climb Filter, you possibly can try totally different routes and choose between 5 forms of climbing: Trad, Sport, High Rope, Bouldering and Ice/Combined.
Offline Maps
Other than day journeys, we love utilizing the app to plan out in a single day adventures. Earlier than heading out, you possibly can obtain Offline Maps of the world you’re heading into, customizable to nonetheless giant or refined you select. After choosing how detailed you favor your obtain to be, (extra detailed means extra obtain house,) you’ll be capable to view a number of key options within the space:
Topographical Info
Elevation
Constructed Routes
Public Entry Websites
Route Builder
The route builder function is extremely useful. In different functions, it may is usually a sophisticated and convoluted course of that takes you throughout totally different platforms and units. These different sources are actually not dangerous, however we benefit from the streamlined simplicity that constructing a route in onX Backcountry brings.
Because the consumer, you’re in a position to design totally different routes primarily based off present trails and your personal creativity. This function is offered in each the cellular and desktop variations of the app, however it’s price stating that it’s a rather more accessible expertise when finished on the desktop. Nevertheless, it’s simply doable on the cellphone if a pc just isn’t within the playing cards.
Editor’s Notice: Except for the precise Filters, these options usually are not unique to the summer season modes, and can be found within the Ski Tour mode as nicely. They’re very helpful for all method of backcountry journey.
In the event you’re an skilled backcountry skier who’s spending their summer season dreaming about huge traces this winter, you’re in the best place. On the flip aspect, when you’re seeking to ski tour for the primary time this winter, you’re additionally in the best place. That’s as a result of the options discovered within the Ski Mode of this app are useful regardless of how typically you head out. You’ll be able to by no means have an excessive amount of info when coping with avalanches and terrain risks when snowboarding, simply ask onX Backcountry ambassadors skilled skiers Cody Townsend, Veronica Paulsen and Griffin Put up.
After all, that is no substitute for avalanche schooling. In the event you’re heading out this winter, we urge you benefit from schooling alternatives in your space. We suggest testing the web sites of BCA and AIARE to get began and discover programs close to you. That being mentioned, onX Backcountry affords a number of sensible instruments that can assist you to use your avy data and make sensible selections.
Uncover
This can be a nice function for any skier who’s dipping their toes into backcountry journey, or for the skilled traveler who’s exploring a brand new zone or space and needs to be taught extra. The Discovery space is stuffed with areas and zones. Areas are bigger areas, and zones are particular areas inside these areas. Every area is full with:
Dwell Avalanche Forecast Information
Snow Depth
24 hr. Snow Totals
Native Knowledgeable Particulars
“However wait! Isn’t this going to explode my secret spot?” It’s a sound query, however the reply is sort of actually no. The Uncover spots and mapped routes are primarily generic items of knowledge, vetted by trusted Native Consultants and meant to function a baseline, not an end-all be-all bible. This can be a useful gizmo that may give you data relating to routes which might be reliable and protected, relying on situations, and meet the chance stage you’re searching for. Your secret stash will keep secluded, whereas those that want info can have entry to probably life-saving information books.
ATES – Avalanche Terrain Publicity Scale
Maybe probably the most revolutionary function in all of onX Backcountry, the inclusion of ATES (Avalanche Terrain Publicity Scale) marks a milestone in backcountry journey. ATES was launched in December of 2023 on the app however was first developed in 2003 by Parks Canada. The system makes use of 11 totally different terrain inputs, together with slope angle, beginning zones, runout zones, forest density and extra. Researcher John Sykes paired up with onX to deliver a digitized type of ATES to america for the primary time. Based on the unique press launch, Sykes’s algorithm, referred to as autoATES, “analyzes terrain in standard winter areas in onX Backcountry,” and applies the size primarily based on these totally different terrain inputs.
With ATES utilized, your map is then sorted by coloration. There are 4 choices:
Inexperienced (Easy Terrain) – Principally low angle and closely forested. Minimal publicity.
Blue (Difficult Terrain) – Frequent avalanche runouts and paths, in addition to terrain traps.
Black (Advanced Terrain) – Infamous avalanche-starting zones with terrain traps which might be exhausting to keep away from. Excessive publicity.
Crimson (Excessive Terrain) – Very steep faces with cliffs, spines, couloirs and crevasses. Can not scale back publicity. Even a small avalanche might be deadly.
This device is meant to offer customers an concept of the avalanche terrain they’re uncovered to. When touring within the mountains, considering that you’re protected simply because you aren’t on an uncovered or unstable face is usually a frequent false impression. ATES permits you to see areas which might be harmful due to the terrain that you just would possibly get pushed into if an avalanche have been to slip, the terrain that’s above you and would possibly launch, or a mix of the above.
“ATES doesn’t let you know the place to go,” says Beacon Guidebook founder and onX Backcountry senior content material supervisor Andy Sovik. “Winter out of doors fanatics nonetheless have to do the work to attach the forecast with the terrain and take crucial avalanche security schooling programs. However we’re giving customers the instruments to use this schooling proper on the map.”
onX Backcountry additionally contains an Avalanche Run Out Layer and the Avalanche Potential Launch Layer as two choices that customers can activate and off to isolate these components for a greater understanding of why a particular space was given its corresponding ATES ranking. There are a variety of useful tutorial movies that onX has created with AMGA Information Jason Antin, and we encourage you to observe these right here.
Whereas security within the mountains isn’t a given, instruments like onX Backcountry may also help you handle danger and plan a route in line with your imaginative and prescient. There’s no proper or fallacious strategy to journey, it’s all about selecting what matches for you, and customizable choices assist do precisely that. Use these instruments as templates, not as non secular paperwork. All the time be on the protected aspect and dwell to get on the market one other day, that’s how we like to think about it. You’ll want to try the onX Backcountry web page for extra info and sources.
