GPX tracks and wikiloc

I thought I might explain the tracks I am sending. A “gpx” track (aka gps track) is a text file that is basically a list of GPS readings plus some identifying information (metadata). A gps reading is a time plus a location somewhere on the earth, that is, a latitude, longitude, and elevation. The track records a trip, aka route. A gpx tracker app on your phone will record a walk by taking a gps reading every, say, 10 meters (you can decide how often). When you finish, it packages them all up in a gpx track for you.

The wikiloc app is an app that will do this. When we start out I start the track and when we finish I end it, give it a name, and upload it. The wikiloc web site provides access to these tracks and shows them in a nice format on a map, provides altitude graphs, computes various statistics, etc.

Besides recording your trips in the wikiloc app you can also download a track that someone else has recorded and “follow” the track. We are doing that also and have found a track for each stage of our Camino. The app sends you a notification if you get off-track.

We have used gpx tracks for the last three Caminos but this is the first time we have used wikiloc. It is a nice app and ha a nice web site. It is used by a lot of people on the Camino.

In general wikiloc seems to have gotten quite popular with all hikers and walkers. It has tons of trails, you might say too many, it can be hard to navigate and find the one you want.

If you are interested in recording your walks you might give it a try. Just download the app on your phone. It is dead easy to use.

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