Plan My Walk is a brand-new app that will help you plan your next tramping adventure. By Rebekah Wilson
Aotearoa’s hills, forests and mountains are opportunities for adventure and discovery, and planning that adventure should be part of the fun. To inspire quality trip planning, the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council’s (MSC) world-first app, Plan My Walk, will help to ensure just that.
It’s a free one-stop shop for trampers and walkers that removes guesswork from the important planning phase by bringing together a range of information needed when planning a trip in the outdoors. The app covers over 1000 tracks, all with MetService weather warnings and watches, weather forecasts, track information, tramper reviews and suggested gear lists.
It provides the ability to create a trip plan, including a daily schedule with trip notes, documents and group members. Your plan can be saved and shared with others, like your trusted emergency contact.
Many insights have been revealed through MSC’s ongoing and in-depth analysis of safety incidents, and Plan My Walk is the outcome of a concerted effort to reduce preventable safety issues, many of which are caused by inadequate planning and preparation. MSC believes Plan My Walk holds the key to effective and efficient trip planning in Aotearoa.
Chief Executive Mike Daisley said the new app is a “revolutionary step forward” in supporting walkers’ and trampers’ safety.
“We are really excited to get the app out there in the community and see how people use it and see how it helps them with planning and preparing for their adventures,” he said. “We are confident there is a need for this type of app and that it will make a difference.”
Aotearoa’s tramping culture is unique, from chatting to strangers in a hut, exchanging notes on track conditions and sharing experiences online or in stories. The outdoors is so much more than just a place to explore, it’s part of the fabric and culture of Aotearoa.
This sharing culture sits at the heart of Plan My Walk and is one of the reasons for including the track review feature, so knowledgeable trampers’ advice can be shared with others. Plan My Walk comes from a place of encouraging adventure, improving safety and influencing positive behaviour. It’s about getting out there and exploring; safely.
“Plan My Walk is a world-first product that we believe has the potential to improve the safety of thousands of people heading out on a walking and tramping adventure,” Daisley said.
Download the app, Plan My Walk, from your preferred app store, or check it out online at www.planmywalk.nz.
A new app version will be released mid-October, as at the time of publication MSC is deep into another round of development which will add new features and functions, all of which have come from user feedback.
If you have questions or comments, feel free to get in touch with the team at MSC. Your input is valued and users are encouraged to tell MSC about their experience using the app.
Plan My Walk has been built for trampers, by trampers, and MSC is committed to adding new features that make planning better and easier.
