Is AllTrails useful on the Norte?

[Silvermomma]

I use Alltrails a lot here in the US, in Iceland, on the Via Podiensis and a bit on the CF. Will it be useful on the Norte? For example, people here say the "warm up" from Biarritz to Irun (or Hondarribia) is easy, but Alltrains calls Biarritz-St Jean to Luz difficult. I'm already confused! Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[trecile]

Biarritz to St Jean de Luz is easy. It's mostly flat, and mostly on trails and paved paths near along the coast. You can use Gronze for descriptions and elevations, and Gronze maps for GPS. Two caveats - Gronze is only in Spanish, but if you use the Chrome browser it will automatically translate to English, and Gronze maps needs an internet connection to work.

Another useful app is mapy.cz. All of the major hiking trails are already on it. You don't need to download anything extra, but once installed you can also download entire regions to use offline. In the settings under "map" you can change the default to the Outdoor map.

 

[Silvermomma]

Biarritz to St Jean de Luz is easy. It's mostly flat, and mostly on trails and paved paths near along the coast. You can use Gronze for descriptions and elevations, and Gronze maps for GPS. Two caveats - Gronze is only in Spanish, but if you use the Chrome browser it will automatically translate to English, and Gronze maps needs an internet connection to work.

Another useful app is mapy.cz. All of the major hiking trails are already on it. You don't need to download anything extra, but once installed you can also download entire regions to use offline. In the settings under "map" you can change the default to the Outdoor map.

Thanks so much for the maps info. You made my day confirming that my first stage will be manageable.

 

[trecile]

Thanks so much for the maps info. You made my day confirming that my first stage will be manageable.

I started from the Biarritz lighthouse last year. I had spent the night in Bayonne, and took the train to Biarritz, then a bus to the lighthouse. The distance walked was about 13 miles.

Here are some pictures from that day

 

[Silvermomma]

I started from the Biarritz lighthouse last year. I had spent the night in Bayonne, and took the train to Biarritz, then a bus to the lighthouse. The distance walked was about 13 miles.

Here are some pictures from that day

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I love that blue sky~!~

 

[DoughnutANZ]

For example, people here say the "warm up" from Biarritz to Irun (or Hondarribia) is easy, but Alltrains calls Biarritz-St Jean to Luz difficult. I'm already confused! Thanks for your thoughts.

I think that it is worth remembering that the difficultly level shown on an Alltrails route is an opinion expressed by one or more people rather than by Alltrails itself (a bit like opinions on this forum).

As a result the level of difficulty that is described is relative to that person's background. One persons difficult might be another person's easy.

For example, two weeks ago I walked the Comans Track which is close to Piha Beach in West Auckland with a group of other 70 and 80 year old trampers (hikers to you). I was the youngest in the party at age 70, with four women and two men.

This is not a technically difficult walk although it is occasionally steep and in one spot there is a chain to aid ascent or descent.



Alltrails lists this track as "Hard".



While a local app with track descriptions lists it as "Intermediate".



And I would rate it as "Easy".

 

[Silvermomma]

You are amazing. I think I would rate that "terrifying."

 

[SFletcher]

I used the All Trails app last year on the Norte between Bilbao and Santander. Yes the app had the features that I needed, but you also need to look at the track you plan to follow. The Norte has many options and variations where you can stay closer to the coast or stick to paved roads. I looked at a couple of the saved tracks on Alltrails and compared them to the routes in Gronze and Wise Pilgrim. In the end I plotted my own combination of the options I wanted to walk and saved that route and downloaded it in advance to use offline.

 

[Silvermomma]

I used the All Trails app last year on the Norte between Bilbao and Santander. Yes the app had the features that I needed, but you also need to look at the track you plan to follow. The Norte has many options and variations where you can stay closer to the coast or stick to paved roads. I looked at a couple of the saved tracks on Alltrails and compared them to the routes in Gronze and Wise Pilgrim. In the end I plotted my own combination of the options I wanted to walk and saved that route and downloaded it in advance to use offline.

Thanks! I have a lot of notes and suggestions from people here about the alternate routes. It involves some planning! And co-operative weather, i think.

 

[Mar W]

I used the All Trails app last year on the Norte between Bilbao and Santander. Yes the app had the features that I needed, but you also need to look at the track you plan to follow. The Norte has many options and variations where you can stay closer to the coast or stick to paved roads. I looked at a couple of the saved tracks on Alltrails and compared them to the routes in Gronze and Wise Pilgrim. In the end I plotte

I used the All Trails app last year on the Norte between Bilbao and Santander. Yes the app had the features that I needed, but you also need to look at the track you plan to follow. The Norte has many options and variations where you can stay closer to the coast or stick to paved roads. I looked at a couple of the saved tracks on Alltrails and compared them to the routes in Gronze and Wise Pilgrim. In the end I plotted my own combination of the options I wanted to walk and saved that route and downloaded it in advance to use offli

I hope to do this section in June and prefer to stay as close to the coast as possible. Would you be able to share the route you took please @SFletcher as I am not very good with maps or planning routes.
Gracias

 

[Mar W]

Hi.
I plan to walk from Bilbao to Santander in June and hope to stay as close to the coast as possible.
Would you mind sharing the route you downloaded please as I am useless with maps and would appreciate the assistance.
Muchas gracias

 

[islandwalker]

If you are used to using AllTrails, you would probably find it easy to use Wikiloc, a similar Spanish trails app with an incredible number of participants, and thus, an amazing amount of local information.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

And Wikiloc membership is free although a paid membership gets you some extra features. $5 a quarter or $10 for a year. AllTrails is $35 a year.

 

[asl]

Biarritz to St Jean de Luz is easy. It's mostly flat, and mostly on trails and paved paths near along the coast. You can use Gronze for descriptions and elevations, and Gronze maps for GPS. Two caveats - Gronze is only in Spanish, but if you use the Chrome browser it will automatically translate to English, and Gronze maps needs an internet connection to work.

Another useful app is mapy.cz. All of the major hiking trails are already on it. You don't need to download anything extra, but once installed you can also download entire regions to use offline. In the settings under "map" you can

It took a bit but I was finally able to get mapy.cz to work. What is the best way to search for a route on this app? I plugged in Camino del Norte and no trails came up, then tried just point to point (Biarritz - St Jean de Luz) and no route either. Thx.

 

[Guateboston]

I use Alltrails a lot here in the US, in Iceland, on the Via Podiensis and a bit on the CF. Will it be useful on the Norte? For example, people here say the "warm up" from Biarritz to Irun (or Hondarribia) is easy, but Alltrains calls Biarritz-St Jean to Luz difficult. I'm already confused! Thanks for your thoughts.

I used all trail in the Norte and it worked fine

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

It took a bit but I was finally able to get mapy.cz to work. What is the best way to search for a route on this app? I plugged in Camino del Norte and no trails came up, then tried just point to point (Biarritz - St Jean de Luz) and no route either. Thx.

I think the easiest way to find the route is to search for Saint Jean-de-Luz then look at the shoreline of the harbor. You will see the Camino marked with a blue line and here-and-there labeled CdN (Camino del Norte). Some places it seems to disappear as it coincides with other routes marked with other colors. Searching for other places should bring it up too. You may have a harder time finding the blue line at those places so practice with Saint Jean-de-Luz.

 

[ProGearKJ5]

I use Alltrails a lot here in the US, in Iceland, on the Via Podiensis and a bit on the CF. Will it be useful on the Norte? For example, people here say the "warm up" from Biarritz to Irun (or Hondarribia) is easy, but Alltrains calls Biarritz-St Jean to Luz difficult. I'm already confused! Thanks for your thoughts.

I also use All Trails extensively in the US but I used Far Out for the Norte (and Frances) and loved it. I did use All Trails on the Primitivo and it worked as well as it does for local trails in the US. Again, I prefer Far Out when they have maps available for the trail I'm hiking.

 

[trecile]

It took a bit but I was finally able to get mapy.cz to work. What is the best way to search for a route on this app? I plugged in Camino del Norte and no trails came up, then tried just point to point (Biarritz - St Jean de Luz) and no route either. Thx.

In mapy search for directions just as you would on Google Maps. The "from" location will default to your current location, but tap on the little green area to choose a different starting point.

(Click on images to enlarge)


For the route type choose "tourist."



Here's the result.



I found that I didn't usually need to actually '"navigate " along the route. While you are there you will see your dot on the trail, which in this case is called Sentier Littoral Bidart-Hendaye.

 

[asl]

Trecile -- Thanks so much for your assistance. I have it up and running.

 

[SFletcher]

I hope to do this section in June and prefer to stay as close to the coast as possible. Would you be able to share the route you took please @SFletcher as I am not very good with maps or planning routes.
Gracias

We followed the solid line routes marked on the Gronze maps, with one exception - on the approach to Laredo, some of our group took the coastal route via Isequilla.

 

[mb4869]

I use Alltrails a lot here in the US, in Iceland, on the Via Podiensis and a bit on the CF. Will it be useful on the Norte? For example, people here say the "warm up" from Biarritz to Irun (or Hondarribia) is easy, but Alltrains calls Biarritz-St Jean to Luz difficult. I'm already confused! Thanks for your thoughts.

Hi Silvamomma, I’ve never used Alltrails so can’t comment. After 4 days on the trail trail my experience so far is that the reviews are aimed at Pilgrims of all ages and capability. If you’re an experienced hill walker these trails are moderate with some strenuous sections. By the time you have reach the top of these sections the views are so rewarding that you forget how tough it was. Don’t worry it’s far exceeding my expectations already. Buen Camino

 

[stuwmson]

I use Alltrails a lot here in the US, in Iceland, on the Via Podiensis and a bit on the CF. Will it be useful on the Norte? For example, people here say the "warm up" from Biarritz to Irun (or Hondarribia) is easy, but Alltrains calls Biarritz-St Jean to Luz difficult. I'm already confused! Thanks for your thoughts.

If anyone is planning to walk the Norte be sure you read ourblog
Caminowalkaboutnorte.blogspot.com