Written by: Anna Bernard
There are many things that draw us to the outdoors. Stunning beauty, crisp air and pure adrenaline are just a few. The views are earned and the adventure likely comes with some form of risk. It’s what keeps us coming back.
However, in order to keep coming back, safety and smarts must be added to the equation. Between weather, mapping and navigation, staying alert and safe in the outdoors can easily get overwhelming. A company rooted in Park City, UT, known as Mountain Hub, makes all of that juggling just a bit simpler with their innovative new app.
Photo courtesy of Mountain Hub.
Built by and for the collective outdoor community, Mountain Hub is the first global real-time network for the outdoors that puts all of the data in one place. From trailhead popularity, to trail conditions, to avalanche hazards, Mountain Hub has you covered, no sweat.
“Mountain Hub initially started with a focus on information sharing for backcountry skiers, snowmobilers, and other winter enthusiasts and professionals,” said TJ Kolanko, Mountain Hub’s Marketing Director. “Our initial platform was called Avanet and in its first year, rapidly grew to over 400 organizations sharing 35,000 observations across 50 countries…quickly our community began to ask to share other types of information such as trail and climbing conditions, incidents, trip reports, points of interests and more.”
It soon became clear that by broadening their platform, their impact would skyrocket. Thus, Mountain Hub was born. User-friendly and available in any environment, staying safe and smart on the mountain will be the easiest it has ever been.
A brief sneak peek of what Mountain Hub’s app has to offer: ● Explore Feed: A real-time community-based feed of observations and trip reports in your area. ● Observation’s platform: Quickly and easily share observations while in the field within a few clicks. ● Mapping: Integration of some of the best maps around the world; including Mapbox, CalTopo, CanMatrix, SwissTopo, JapanTopo, IGN, Topo, NorwayTopo and more. ● Terrain Visualization: Highlight terrain based on elevation, slope angle, and aspect or any combination of these variables, informing decision-making and orientation in the mountains.
Besides the ease of the app, all of Mountain Hub’s real-time information can be accessed both on and offline, and is underpinned by some of the best outdoor mapping technology in the world. Safety and social experiences become intertwined on this single platform.
Photo courtesy of Mountain Hub.
“We not only want enthusiasts and professionals to stay safe and make the most informed decisions possible in the outdoors, we also want Mountain Hub to serve as a platform that unites our global outdoor community across activities, professions, organizations and more,” said Kolanko. “We want you to be able to celebrate and share these incredible experiences.”
As for Mountain Hub’s goals, this app is just the beginning. “Soon, you’ll be able to do things like track adventures on Mountain Hub, create routes, build intelligent trip reports, and more,” said Kolanko. “We are really just at the tip of the iceberg.”
One of their most exciting and upcoming plans is to for their SP line to integrate entirely into a ski pole and be a proof point for many other connected hardware integrations into Mountain Hub. The possibilities are endless, and the impact that Mountain Hub could have on the outdoor community is monumental.
Photo courtesy of Mountain Hub.
“At the end of the day, our mission is to inspire safe exploration and a culture of contribution in the outdoors,” said Kolanko. “If we do our job right, we know we can make the outdoors more accessible to many people around the world, help our community make more informed decisions, and ultimately contribute to a culture that deeply values these awe inspiring places we are so fortunate to explore.”
Note: Featured photo courtesy of Utah Outside.