LIVE from the Camino Last minute mistake—now what?

[peregrina2000]

After a lovely time with @annettelondon in a Ponferrada cafe, I am back getting things ready for the Invierno adventure.

I want to walk to Peñalba tomorrow and from there to As Médulas the next day. For some inexplicable reason I do not have the GPS tracks for Peñalba to Médulas on my garmin. Great. This is not likely to be well marked and is quite remote.
This is the wikiloc trail.

las medulas-peñalba de santiago

las medulas-peñalba de santiago Hiking trail in Las Médulas, Castilla y León (España). Download its GPS track and follow the route on a map. Record your own itinerary from the Wikiloc app, upload the trail and share it with the community.

www.wikiloc.com

I have wikiloc app on my phone. But I have no idea how to use a trail on the phone.

Can anyone help? I am unsure whether to set out on this trail without a GPS track to use.

So stupid of me!!!

 

[VNwalking]

Breathe, Laurie.
If you can, download the OSMand app and the map of Spain onto your phone. You can overlay the wikiloc track onto that map. I have to go give a talk now and can't take the time to remember how I did that. But a PM to @Rick of Rick and Peg will provide more expert help.

I did the Vasco and the Invierno with this and it was perfect - it works offline, so no need for a connection.
(It also meant that I did not consult your guide much, so am little help for updates...sooorrrryyyyyy!)

 

[Former member 49149]

After a lovely time with @annettelondon in a Ponferrada cafe, I am back getting things ready for the Invierno adventure.

I want to walk to Peñalba tomorrow and from there to As Médulas the next day. For some inexplicable reason I do not have the GPS tracks for Peñalba to Médulas on my garmin. Great. This is not likely to be well marked and is quite remote.
This is the wikiloc trail.

las medulas-peñalba de santiago

las medulas-peñalba de santiago Hiking trail in Las Médulas, Castilla y León (España). Download its GPS track and follow the route on a map. Record your own itinerary from the Wikiloc app, upload the trail and share it with the community.

www.wikiloc.com

I have wikiloc app on my phone. But I have no idea how to use a trail on the phone.

Can anyone help? I am unsure whether to set out on this trail without a GPS track to use.

So stupid of me!!!

problem: can only use one emoticon... sorry for your problem, but glad you met up with Annette and husband... Hope VNwalking's input gets you on your way.

 

[peregrina2000]

I have the wikiloc app on my phone. If I open a trail on the app, should that work?

 

[amancio]

Try the free version of the IGN, Instituto Geográfico Nacional (threre should be an iPhone version too, this would be for Android):

Mapas de España - Apps on Google Play

Ideal for hiking, biking display, running or skiing, etc

play.google.com

if you use the fre,getting the map for Leon would be very handy too. The app includes a Spain map, but you might want to download the map for Leon, which is more more detailed

Once you have the IGN app, open it and follow these steps to download the map for Leon (IMPORTANT: you want to do this with WIFI, it is a laaaaaaarge file, and might take up to 5 or 10 minutes)

1) press the Map button (see below)



2) Choose Abrir mapa



3) Tap the OFFLINE (1) option, then press the + sign (2)



4) A new browser window will appear; scroll down till you get Leon, then hit Descargar for León



that might take a few minutes

you should then be able to open the track files no problem. I insist; if you cannot download the Leon map, you might still be able to manage with the default Spanish map that comes included with the app

Any other technical issue, just give me a shout, amiga! Beware, hot, hot days are expected, and Orense is particularly clamy and hot!

 

[Magwood]

Laurie, just in case it helps, I have just emailed you a file of the invierno that you can upload to maps.me if you have it installed. I find it very easy to follow a track on this app, although I record my walks on Wikiloc.

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

I have the wikiloc app on my phone. If I open a trail on the app, should that work?

Did you try it because, it seems like that would work.

 

[NualaOC]

I have the wikiloc app on my phone. If I open a trail on the app, should that work?

Hi Laurie,

Apologies in advance if this is a really stupid response .......

I just tried what you suggested and it seems to work. I clicked on your link and my phone automatically opened it in the wikiloc app. I then scrolled down and clicked the 'save' option. It's now stored in the app in 'saved trails' (rather than in 'your trails').

I tried the 'follow' option but it told me that I was too far away

Good luck with this - it's quite far outside my comfort zone too, but I've successfully used the wikiloc app on a few Caminos. It's quite intuitive once you get started.

Nuala

 

[peregrina2000]

Overwhelmed as usual with all the help you guys send so freely.

While I was away I downloaded the wikiloc maps of Castilla y León. But I am not sure I had to do that.

Hi Laurie,

Apologies in advance if this is a really stupid response .......

I just tried what you suggested and it seems to work. I clicked on your link and my phone automatically opened it in the wikiloc app. I then scrolled down and clicked the 'save' option. It's now stored in the app in 'saved trails' (rather than in 'your trails').

I tried the 'follow' option but it told me that I was too far away

Good luck with this - it's quite far outside my comfort zone too, but I've successfully used the wikiloc app on a few Caminos. It's quite intuitive once you get started.

Nuala

Where does the follow option show up? I did what you did and don’t see that anywhere.

 

[peregrina2000]

Oops, cancel that. I see the follow option. Nuala, does that work offline?

 

[NualaOC]

I'm not sure, Laurie as I've only used it online. But I'm sure someone else here will know the answer!

Now that you've added the trail to your wikiloc profile, might you be able to access it on your Garmin?

 

[VNwalking]

have the wikiloc app on my phone. If I open a trail on the app, should that work?

I think that requires you to be online, but I'm not sure.
The OSMand is totally offline once you've downloaded the app and the map.
It looks like this:
And you turn on location the gives a little blue dot that you can follow.

 

[VNwalking]

And now I'm remembering how I got that overlay: I downloaded the wikiloc track to the phone and then opened it in OSMand. Easy.

I played with the maps @Magwood is talking about but found OSMand more accessable and easier. You aren't flush on time!

 

[VNwalking]

does that work offline?

I just played with it on my phone and it didn't, but I don't have premium. Boo.
Do try OSMand, Laurie - it was easy, and free.

 

[peregrina2000]

Well I am looking at all the options and think that the best chance is for me to play with wikiloc trails. I have downloaded their Leon map and will see if that helps. They do say they have an offline option. I’m not sure there will be coverage up there so I need something offline. Once I get to Peñalba tomorrow I’ll see what I can figure out.

Thanks so much everyone.

The options Amancio, VN and magwood talk about all sound great but they are too complicated for me to figure out tonight.

Goodnight all, to be continued tomorrow.

 

[Magwood]

I have followed Wikiloc tracks on occasion, but found that I needed a data connection to do so. Maps.me works everywhere and has been a lifesaver for me many a time. Can I suggest that you try following the Wikiloc track without any form of internet connection, as a practice session, before relying on it.
Good luck and buen camino.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Try the free version of the IGN, Instituto Geográfico Nacional (threre should be an iPhone version too, this would be for Android):

Mapas de España - Apps on Google Play

Ideal for hiking, biking display, running or skiing, etc

play.google.com

if you use the fre,getting the map for Leon would be very handy too. The app includes a Spain map, but you might want to download the map for Leon, which is more more detailed

Once you have the IGN app, open it and follow these steps to download the map for Leon (IMPORTANT: you want to do this with WIFI, it is a laaaaaaarge file, and might take up to 5 or 10 minutes)

1) press the Map button (see below)

View attachment 59824

2) Choose Abrir mapa

View attachment 59825

3) Tap the OFFLINE (1) option, then press the + sign (2)

View attachment 59826

4) A new browser window will appear; scroll down till you get Leon, then hit Descargar for León

View attachment 59827

that might take a few minutes

you should then be able to open the track files no problem. I insist; if you cannot download the Leon map, you might still be able to manage with the default Spanish map that comes included with the app

Any other technical issue, just give me a shout, amiga! Beware, hot, hot days are expected, and Orense is particularly clamy and hot!

You are one example of the many forum members who go above and beyond to help out peregrinos and peregrinas in whatever way you can...just saying.☺

 

[islandwalker]

Oops, Laurie, I'm so sorry I didn't see this earlier. You absolutely do not need a cell connection or wifi to use Wikiloc to follow a trail on your phone. You also do not need to transfer the Wikiloc trail to any other app. We keep our phones in airplane mode to save on battery and follow Wikiloc trails directly from the app all day with no problem at all. Just open the trail on your phone, press the green "Follow Trail" button, and watch your blue dot move along the orange track. Keep your volume up enough and you will hear a warning if you leave the trail. Here is a link to the help page from Wikiloc if you also want to record your trail. The important thing to know is you only need the one app, Wikiloc, to do the entire thing. Very straightforward. So if you open your Peñalba trail in the Wikiloc app when you are ready to start out, and press the "Follow Trail" button right under the map near the top of the screen, and then press the green "Start Following" button on the next screen that pops up, you will be all set. Once you see how easy it is, I bet you'll never feel the need to transfer another trail to your Garmin again!
Good luck with it all,
Elaine

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Good morning Laurie. I didn't see this thread until about midnight your time.

I think you just need to follow the instructions above by @slandwalker. I say think because I do not have the premium version of the Wikiloc app installed. Let me start at an earlier point.

I have OSMand, Maps.me and Wikiloc apps installed. A few weeks ago I used Wikiloc to download a GPX version of a trail in my neighborhood. Last week I downloaded the Wikiloc background map for Massachusetts. I've had OSMand's background map for Massachusetts downloaded for months. Right after seeing this thread I headed out to the vicinity of the trail. I had my cellular data connection and wifi set to off so I would be able to see only the downloaded offline versions of the Massachusetts maps. I set the location setting on to be able to get GPS signals from the satellites. I then used a file manager to find the downloaded local track on my phone and I clicked it. The first time to say "display with Wikiloc and then again to display it using OSMand. So now I went to the Wikiloc app and I could see the track overlaid on the Massachusetts map. Good. But the green follow track button mentioned by islandwalker did not work for me. (Later at home with wifi on I tried again and what I got was a pop-up requesting me to get the premium version of the app. If you already have that I expect that everything would just fine for you.) When I switched to the OSMand app I could see the track overlaid on the Massachusetts map and I could see an arrow indicating my position. Using that I walked to get myself to the track and follow it.

For ease of use I would suggest you stick with the Wikiloc app if it shows both your current position and the track you want to follow. After all you are used to that app.

OSMand is a pay for app but it is free as long as you only download a few of the offline maps (5?). If you want more you will need to pay for the app. I'm still using the free version myself using only a few of the New England states.

Maps.me is free and would must likely also work as well as OSMand but it has to read KML or KMZ formatted tracks and I hadn't downloaded the nearby track in that format. I think that Wikiloc allows the tracks to be downloaded in any of those formats (I'm still new to Wikiloc and haven't tried everything out yet.) Maps.me will likely use less disk space than OSMand because it has maps of smaller regions. For example OSMand would have all of North Carolina as one map while Maps.me breaks the state up into many regions (seven as I remember.)

I may be up about the time you may want to write (I usually get up really early.) Ask away. If I don't know the answer I'll make something up (just kidding, I may make an educated guess but I'll let you know that is what you are getting.)

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

@islandwalker, I just bookmarked your last post #18.
Thankyou!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Good morning Laurie. I didn't see this thread until about midnight your time.

I think you just need to follow the instructions above by @slandwalker. I say think because I do not have the premium version of the Wikiloc app installed. Let me start at an earlier point.

I have OSMand, Maps.me and Wikiloc apps installed. A few weeks ago I used Wikiloc to download a GPX version of a trail in my neighborhood. Last week I downloaded the Wikiloc background map for Massachusetts. I've had OSMand's background map for Massachusetts downloaded for months. Right after seeing this thread I headed out to the vicinity of the trail. I had my cellular data connection and wifi set to off so I would be able to see only the downloaded offline versions of the Massachusetts maps. I set the location setting on to be able to get GPS signals from the satellites. I then used a file manager to find the downloaded local track on my phone and I clicked it. The first time to say "display with Wikiloc and then again to display it using OSMand. So now I went to the Wikiloc app and I could see the track overlaid on the Massachusetts map. Good. But the green follow track button mentioned by islandwalker did not work for me. (Later at home with wifi on I tried again and what I got was a pop-up requesting me to get the premium version of the app. If you already have that I expect that everything would just fine for you.) When I switched to the OSMand app I could see the track overlaid on the Massachusetts map and I could see an arrow indicating my position. Using that I walked to get myself to the track and follow it.

For ease of use I would suggest you stick with the Wikiloc app if it shows both your current position and the track you want to follow. After all you are used to that app.

OSMand is a pay for app but it is free as long as you only download a few of the offline maps (5?). If you want more you will need to pay for the app. I'm still using the free version myself using only a few of the New England states.

Maps.me is free and would must likely also work as well as OSMand but it has to read KML or KMZ formatted tracks and I hadn't downloaded the nearby track in that format. I think that Wikiloc allows the tracks to be downloaded in any of those formats (I'm still new to Wikiloc and haven't tried everything out yet.) Maps.me will likely use less disk space than OSMand because it has maps of smaller regions. For example OSMand would have all of North Carolina as one map while Maps.me breaks the state up into many regions (seven as I remember.)

I may be up about the time you may want to write (I usually get up really early.) Ask away. If I don't know the answer I'll make something up (just kidding, I may make an educated guess but I'll let you know that is what you are getting.)

Rick, you are another forum member who is often so helpful in sharing your computer related knowledge and skills with those who are asking questions of that type. You take the time and go out of your way to help resolve their issues and this post says it all...such a nice quality you possess.
I enjoy the banter we share on the Not serious thread and always enjoy seeing your avatar on various other threads as your input is always valuable.

 

[amancio]

You are one example of the many forum members who go above and beyond to help out peregrinos and peregrinas in whatever way you can...just saying.☺

Anything for Laurie, she is a fabulous person and I am very happy to help any time, she has helped me lots of times too!
The problem with these apps is, they take a lot of data, you need one that works offline, like OruxMaps or the IGN app.

And she is going no less than to Santiago de Peñalba, pure magic of a place and a valley!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

And she is going no less than to Santiago de Peñalba, pure magic of a place and a valley!

I have seen Penalba in that valley in the far, far distance while walking the Frances and it has intrigued me as it looked lost in time, and I wondered about it. Laurie set me straight about its name and I've seen her photos with Reb. I would love to do that loop she speaks of one day.

 

[NualaOC]

Oops, Laurie, I'm so sorry I didn't see this earlier. You absolutely do not need a cell connection or wifi to use Wikiloc to follow a trail on your phone. You also do not need to transfer the Wikiloc trail to any other app. We keep our phones in airplane mode to save on battery and follow Wikiloc trails directly from the app all day with no problem at all. Just open the trail on your phone, press the green "Follow Trail" button, and watch your blue dot move along the orange track. Keep your volume up enough and you will hear a warning if you leave the trail. Here is a link to the help page from Wikiloc if you also want to record your trail. The important thing to know is you only need the one app, Wikiloc, to do the entire thing. Very straightforward. So if you open your Peñalba trail in the Wikiloc app when you are ready to start out, and press the "Follow Trail" button right under the map near the top of the screen, and then press the green "Start Following" button on the next screen that pops up, you will be all set. Once you see how easy it is, I bet you'll never feel the need to transfer another trail to your Garmin again!
Good luck with it all,
Elaine

Thanks for this detailed explanation, Elaine. I've used the wikiloc app on my phone quite a few times, but never realised that it would work on airplane mode. Good to know for the future.

Laurie - I hope you're enjoying this walk without too many navigational challenges. We're all cheering for you!

 

[Thomas1962]

If it still doesn't work very well, have a look at this manuel.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/resources/manual-for-putting-free-navigation-apps-with-routes-and-accommodations-files-on-your-smartphone.647/download

It explains how to put maps.me (or any other app) on a smartphone, and after that to dowload files in this app with all camino's in Spain (including the Invierno), France and/or Belgium.
Buen Camino!

 

[Pruden]

Be very aware of the very hot weather coming , on the side of the Rivera Sacra would be a hell melting pot ( easily get around + 40 degrees) , take with you plenty of water, last time I did some fountains were completely dried.
Villages with no people and las Medulas is to hot !
Buen camino!

 

[peregrina2000]

Turns out I wrote a long response this morning and then didn’t post it. But things have changed, so...

I had decided to use wikiloc on my phone. I had the Peñalba-As Médulas tracks on, and since the last four or five kms of the walk into Peñalba are the first four or five on the way out of Peñalba to As Médulas, I gave it a test run. Yes, it worked, great, but it consumed 40% of my phone battery for just those few kms. Plus I had no phone service for any of the walk.

I got to Peñalba just as a visit to the church was starting, and then walked around the village. It is just beautiful and oh so worth a visit. I then sat and thought a bit. I decided it would be stupid to do tomorrow’s walk alone with no way to guarantee I would have the tracks on my phone for the whole time.

So a nice couple from Madrid brought me back to Ponferrada, I checked back into my little Hostal, and tomorrow morning I will walk to As Médulas on the proper Invierno.

I’m not sure if I have Amancio’s Borrenes alternative on my GPS, but if I do, I’ll give that a whirl.

Thanks everyone so much. When I get home I will carefully sort through all this phone/GPS info and see about switching to the phone. So that means I’ll inevitably have millions more questions!!

 

[islandwalker]

and tomorrow morning I will walk to As Médulas on the proper Invierno.

Laurie, I'm glad you found a solution that works for you - and will give you peace of mind about having a safe walk! As you said, when you get home, you can play around with alternatives. We've found that with our phone in airplane mode and low power mode (I forgot to add that yesterday), we can follow and record a track on Wikiloc for eight to ten hours. Here's an article on extending battery life (now two years old) that may be helpful when you get home.

 

[VNwalking]

Oh, too, bad. But I for one am glad you are playing it safe, Laurie.
And later, I will be enjoying those questions, happy to listen in and learn something.
Buen camino tomorrow...may it not be too hot!

 

[amancio]

I’m not sure if I have Amancio’s Borrenes alternative on my GPS, but if I do, I’ll give that a whirl.

go on, just ask people in Borrenes, forgot your woman's name, she is such a pet, and her brother too!!!!

Just in case, go up the street in Borrenes, and when you come to this corner, just turn left and up, there is yellow arrows all the way to Orellan, and the path itself is beautiful



and this is the track

Borrenes-Las Medulas (Camino de Invierno)

Ruta Borrenes-Las Medulas (Camino de Invierno) de Senderismo en Borrenes, Castilla y León (España). Descarga el track GPS y sigue el recorrido del itinerario del sendero desde un mapa. Este track es gentileza de mi amigo Frasco, que compartió este tramo, uno de los miles de kilómetros que hemos...

es.wikiloc.com

BUEN CAMINO from a very jealous Amancio!!!

 

[peregrina2000]

I’m not sure if I have Amancio’s Borrenes alternative on my GPS, but if I do, I’ll give that a whirl.

go on, just ask people in Borrenes, forgot your woman's name, she is such a pet, and her brother too!!!!

Just in case, go up the street in Borrenes, and when you come to this corner, just turn left and up, there is yellow arrows all the way to Orellan, and the path itself is beautiful

View attachment 59875

and this is the track

Borrenes-Las Medulas (Camino de Invierno)

Ruta Borrenes-Las Medulas (Camino de Invierno) de Senderismo en Borrenes, Castilla y León (España). Descarga el track GPS y sigue el recorrido del itinerario del sendero desde un mapa. Este track es gentileza de mi amigo Frasco, que compartió este tramo, uno de los miles de kilómetros que hemos...

es.wikiloc.com

BUEN CAMINO from a very jealous Amancio!!!

Ok, this seems like a path I can take without the GPS! It looks like today won’t be too hot, but the next few days after that could be rough. Good thing there are so many villagers happy to fill water bottles! Buen camino, Laurie

 

[nycwalking]

Ok, this seems like a path I can take without the GPS! It looks like today won’t be too hot, but the next few days after that could be rough. Good thing there are so many villagers happy to fill water bottles! Buen camino, Laurie

Enjoy your journey.

When I was a hospie in Ponferrada way back in 2002, my fellow warden and I took a car trip there.

Is the albergue there still up and running?

Thoroughly enjoying your posts am I.

Happy trekking.

 

[nycwalking]

Something nice for Laurie because she inspires so many.

 

[natefaith]

I’m not sure if I have Amancio’s Borrenes alternative on my GPS, but if I do, I’ll give that a whirl.

go on, just ask people in Borrenes, forgot your woman's name, she is such a pet, and her brother too!!!!

Just in case, go up the street in Borrenes, and when you come to this corner, just turn left and up, there is yellow arrows all the way to Orellan, and the path itself is beautiful

View attachment 59875

and this is the track

Borrenes-Las Medulas (Camino de Invierno)

Ruta Borrenes-Las Medulas (Camino de Invierno) de Senderismo en Borrenes, Castilla y León (España). Descarga el track GPS y sigue el recorrido del itinerario del sendero desde un mapa. Este track es gentileza de mi amigo Frasco, que compartió este tramo, uno de los miles de kilómetros que hemos...

es.wikiloc.com

BUEN CAMINO from a very jealous Amancio!!!

Great post! I'd love to have these kinds of photos (with arrows and X'es) for all the tricky intersections on the Caminos! Nice job, Amancio.

 

[peregrina2000]

Something nice for Laurie because she inspires so many.
View attachment 59883

You must have sent that message to me subliminally. I decided to take Amancio’s alternative from Borrenes (which was Avery good decision). The bar in Borrenes was closed, so a km or so out of town, I found a patch of shade. I made the conscious decision not to peek at my phone, just to sit there and rest and think. It was a very restorative few minutes.

 

[Glamgrrl]

Oops, Laurie, I'm so sorry I didn't see this earlier. You absolutely do not need a cell connection or wifi to use Wikiloc to follow a trail on your phone. You also do not need to transfer the Wikiloc trail to any other app. We keep our phones in airplane mode to save on battery and follow Wikiloc trails directly from the app all day with no problem at all. Just open the trail on your phone, press the green "Follow Trail" button, and watch your blue dot move along the orange track. Keep your volume up enough and you will hear a warning if you leave the trail. Here is a link to the help page from Wikiloc if you also want to record your trail. The important thing to know is you only need the one app, Wikiloc, to do the entire thing. Very straightforward. So if you open your Peñalba trail in the Wikiloc app when you are ready to start out, and press the "Follow Trail" button right under the map near the top of the screen, and then press the green "Start Following" button on the next screen that pops up, you will be all set. Once you see how easy it is, I bet you'll never feel the need to transfer another trail to your Garmin again!
Good luck with it all,
Elaine

Do you need premium for this to work?

 

[islandwalker]

Do you need premium for this to work?

Edited to add: See updated info in new post below - # 44! You do need premium to follow a track made by someone else. The information below is now outdated given the new fee structure Wikiloc has adopted. Thanks to Rick (below) for pointing this change out.

No, you do not need premium to follow a Wikiloc track offline.

All the basic features of Wikiloc - searching, downloading, and following tracks - are available without premium. With the free app, you are able to download tracks (best done when you have access to wifi), and then follow and/or record a track without a connection. There are also free downloadable maps of Spain for offline use.

When you are ready to follow the trail, put your phone in airplane/battery saver mode (to make your battery last longer) and you are good to go. No signal needed. The GPS operates off satellites, not cell towers.

Premium gives access to advanced features such as search by passing area, specific-user trail search, and easy transfer to specified Garmins.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

No, you do not need premium to follow a Wikiloc track offline.

I checked this the other day as noted in a post above. I could see a track on the map but clicking the follow track button off line did nothing. When wifi was available clicking caused a popup giving me the opportunity to upgrade to premium. I could not get my current location to show. I had no problems with this using OSMand.

Edit: traveling. I may not be able to respond any time soon.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Harking back to the Prehistoric, pre- Wiki days of 2010.. that trail is waymarked, y'know. Not very well, and it is a little tricky in the town with the abandoned monastery, but it is perfectly do-able with a plain old map and a compass. I am here to tell you.

 

[KinkyOne]

I checked this the other day as noted in a post above. I could see a track on the map but clicking the follow track button off line did nothing. When wifi was available clicking caused a popup giving me the opportunity to upgrade to premium. I could not get my current location to show. I had no problems with this using OSMand.

Edit: traveling. I may not be able to respond any time soon.

It works on my Android without Premium.

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

...When you are ready to follow the trail, put your phone in airplane/battery saver mode (to make your battery last longer) and you are good to go. No signal needed. The GPS operates off satellites, not cell towers...

Excellent advice from the Wikiloc advocates. I've learned a lot from you's!

 

[amancio]

Great post! I'd love to have these kinds of photos (with arrows and X'es) for all the tricky intersections on the Caminos! Nice job, Amancio.

things are a lot easier now thanks to Streetview, fortunately! I am looking forward to hearing news from Laurie, how it went from Borrenes to Orellán!

 

[peregrina2000]

Harking back to the Prehistoric, pre- Wiki days of 2010.. that trail is waymarked, y'know. Not very well, and it is a little tricky in the town with the abandoned monastery, but it is perfectly do-able with a plain old map and a compass. I am here to tell you.

Ah Rebekah, I would do this walk with you and your map and compass in a heartbeat. But me alone, no cell service, no tracks and no map or compass(not sure they would help anyway), I bailed. But I will be back!

 

[islandwalker]

I checked this the other day as noted in a post above. I could see a track on the map but clicking the follow track button off line did nothing. When wifi was available clicking caused a popup giving me the opportunity to upgrade to premium.

@Rick of Rick and Peg Thanks for the heads-up, Rick! After reading your post, I was puzzled and thought I'd better check this out further to be sure I wasn't misleading people. I tried it myself with a new, non-premium account and indeed got the same results you did. Checking further on Wikiloc's update pages, it seems they have changed their policy recently. People with previous navigator accounts get all the premium features until their navigator packs expire. All others, including new members, will need to have premium ($4.99 for 3 months, $9.99 for 12 months) in order to follow tracks with the Wikiloc app. Here is the updated page of the features you get for free vs premium. Sorry for any confusion my earlier post may have caused!

To summarize, with the free app you can:

• Search for trails.
• Record your own trails.
• Follow your own trails.
• Follow all Wikiloc ORG account (but not Wikiloc.com) trails for free (even if you don't have Wikiloc Premium).
• Download Offline Maps for free: You can use them to locate yourself in detail on the map in areas without Internet coverage.

To download and follow a Wikiloc track made by someone else, you now need premium.

 

[KinkyOne]

@Rick of Rick and Peg ...

• Download Offline Maps for free: You can use them to locate you in detail on the map in areas without Internet coverage.

To download and follow a Wikiloc track made by someone else, you now need premium.

If you can download offline maps and use them to locate yourself without internet coverage that means you don't need Premium account. Or am I missing something?

Otherwise the only explanation would be that maybe I got some credit for uploading lots of tracks???

 

[Former member 49149]

I am going to wait for some days, when I will have the enormous gift of having VNwalking be my tutor in all this gobbledegook. are you paying attention, VNwalking?!!! Meanwhile, @peregrina2000, I do hope you have done what you wanted to do, and are safe and well.

 

[Glamgrrl]

@Rick of Rick and Peg Thanks for the heads-up, Rick! After reading your post, I was puzzled and thought I'd better check this out further to be sure I wasn't misleading people. I tried it myself with a new, non-premium account and indeed got the same results you did. Checking further on Wikiloc's update pages, it seems they have changed their policy recently. People with previous navigator accounts get all the premium features until their navigator packs expire. All others, including new members, will need to have premium ($4.99 for 3 months, $9.99 for 12 months) in order to follow tracks with the Wikiloc app. Here is the updated page of the features you get for free vs premium. Sorry for any confusion my earlier post may have caused!

To summarize, with the free app you can:

• Search for trails.
• Record your own trails.
• Follow your own trails.
• Follow all Wikiloc ORG account (but not Wikiloc.com) trails for free (even if you don't have Wikiloc Premium).
• Download Offline Maps for free: You can use them to locate you in detail on the map in areas without Internet coverage.

To download and follow a Wikiloc track made by someone else, you now need premium.

Thank you all for the further details!! I’ll upgrade to the three month pack.

 

[islandwalker]

If you can download offline maps and use them to locate yourself without internet coverage that means you don't need Premium account. Or am I missing something?

I guess the biggest drawback would be that without a premium account, you couldn't download and follow the tracks other people have made and uploaded (now numbering over 12 million). So in this case, for example, Laurie (if she had had additional phone battery time at her disposal and had chosen to do so) could have followed the Las Medulas-Peñalba de Santiago track she downloaded because she has a premium account. Anyone grandfathered into premium features by having an unexpired Navigator account could also follow that track. But a new user who did not sign up for premium would not be able to follow tracks uploaded by another Wikiloc user.

I just went outside and tried what is possible with a free account, and here's what I found:

• I could download for free any maps worldwide that are on Wikiloc's list and then use those maps offline without a connection. They have 19 regional maps available for Spain as well as one that covers the entire country. A person would need wifi or cell for the download, but not for the display of the map on the phone app.
• When I was outside and offline, I could see a blue dot showing where I was on both the standard satellite map and on the map of my region that I had previously downloaded.
• The blue dot moved as I moved, and if I pressed "record trail" and then "start recording", it also drew an orange line to show my track. Thus, offline with the free account, I could see exactly where I had moved to on either map (satellite or downloaded regional).

So for most people, the decision of whether to opt for premium or not will probably be based on whether they
want only to see their current location on a map or record their own tracks (both possible with the free version) or whether they want also to be able to download and follow the tracks other users have uploaded (only possible with a paid version).

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Thank you for the Wikiloc information. I'm now back from the wilderness (also known as the land of no cell service). I did some experimenting with wikiloc and I have some more to do. I hope to get things straightened out and provide feedback soon.

 

[VNwalking]

People with previous navigator accounts get all the premium features until their navigator packs expire. All others, including new members, will need to have premium ($4.99 for 3 months, $9.99 for 12 months) in order to follow tracks with the Wikiloc app.

Well, that explains that. No wonder. Thanks for clearing up that mystery, @islandwalker !
But even with a freebee account I've managed to download maps (in this moment I can't remember how I did that, but it wasn't hard). I used the as an overlay on OSMand, which I like a lot.

are you paying attention, VNwalking?!!

Uh-huh. But fair warning...I may not be the best tutor of tech on the planet. Regardless it will be fun!

 

[islandwalker]

But even with a freebee account I've managed to download maps (in this moment I can't remember how I did that, but it wasn't hard).

Hmm..that adds a new layer to the puzzle. Are you downloading it on your computer or your phone? From wikiloc.com on the web or from the app?

Here's what happened to me when I tried it with my paid account vs my free "test" account that I made the other day. (All experiments are on tracks submitted by other users, not my own - which would work with the either account.)

Free account:

• Allowed me to download tracks from the Wikiloc website onto both my computer and my phone. I could then upload the track to other places such as Gaia GPS or OSMand (just like the paid account).
• Would not let me save tracks directly on the phone in the app (when I pressed "save track", it gave me a message to sign up for premium.)
• Let me mark tracks as "favorites" on the website, but then when I tried to open them on the phone, prompted me to sign up for a paid account.

Paid account:

• Allowed me to download tracks from the Wikiloc website onto both my computer and my phone. I could then upload the track to other places such as Gaia GPS or OSMand (just like the free account).
• Allowed me to save tracks directly on the phone in the app by pressing "Save Trail" in the app. I could then follow the track offline on the phone directly in the wikiloc app.
• Let me mark tracks as "favorites" on the website and then open them and follow them in the wikiloc app on the phone.

In other words, the free account let me download tracks to use on other sites, but only the paid account let me download and follow tracks within the wikiloc app itself. It will be interesting to see if Rick gets the same results.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

If you can download offline maps and use them to locate yourself without internet coverage that means you don't need Premium account. Or am I missing something?

I think there is some confusion here. The term maps refers to a map of an area and contains objects such as roads, rivers, contour lines, houses and such. Displayed on top of that is a track or a route (usually a track) that shows a way of getting from one place to another. On top of that is a cursor that shows a representation of where you are in the landscape/map. The cursor may have (or be) an arrow to show the direction you have your device pointed. Wikiloc's free app allows you to download maps but is more restrictive about which tracks you can download (see @islandwalker's posts above).

Before going on let me state that I am experimenting with the free app. After I find out what I can do with it I may pay for the premium version. Also, I'm using an Android phone.

I have just gotten back from a walk where I did more experimenting and I think I have found a way around the track download restrictions. Use a browser on your smartphone to visit wikiloc.com and download the track you want, even if it is not yours (use file then GPX or, for KML, use the Google Earth option). I used the Firefox browser and downloaded a track (let's call the file foo.gpx and the name of the track Foo to Bar) and it ended up in the Download folder. Using a file manager on your phone (I use Total Commander) navigate to .../Download/foo.gpx and open the file with Wikiloc. From that point on the track Foo to Bar should appear as one of the tracks that you can display when you click the Profile icon at the bottom of the Wikiloc app.

Now, as said before, you cannot use Wikiloc to follow this track and you cannot even see your current position displayed but what you do have shown is an electronic equivalent of a paper map with the way you want to take highlighted on it. You have to know your current location when you start (e.g., the old bridge over the River Ebro at Puente de Reina) and from that point keep track of the distance and direction you travel. This is not great but workable. However with the free version of OSMand you can also download a map from its collection and open up the same .../Download/foo.gpx file in the same manner and you get the map, track and a cursor with your up to the minute location. That makes following the track a lot easier with OSMand than with Wikiloc. I have used the free version of Wikiloc to follow my own recorded tracks, both forward and in reverse, and, if you can do this too, it has OSMand beat. I'm skipping this topic for now though.

Oh, yeah; if you want to follow someone else's track with the free Wikiloc app try the following (I have not tried this myself but I think it would work). Do what I mentioned earlier about downloading foo.gpx and then rename it to bar.gpx. Open that and then upload to your Wikiloc account. Delete the bar.gpx file on your phone and then download bar.gpx from Wikiloc. Wikiloc may see this as your file and allow to to start following it with its features (miles traveled on it, miles to go, warning you when off track, etc.)

 

[VNwalking]

Rick, thank you for the clear explanation.
I get around the restriction by downloading the track files from wikiloc, but then opening them in OSMand. It works fine.

 

[Thomas1962]

I find OSMand a very good app, but also quit difficult to use sometimes. And after having dowloaded some maps, you also need to pay for it, isn't is?
That is why I still use maps.me. It is all free and very easy to use, it follows you, and shows the direction of any camino. If you load this file into it. you have (nearly) all the Spanish caminos at once ready for use. Download any kml file into it (also the ones you find on wikiloc) and it appears. I regulary help people with it, in 5 minutes they have all they need.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I find OSMand a very good app, but also quit difficult to use sometimes.

I agree. I use Maps.me more often than OSMand but not for following tracks. Mainly because I prefer to use files in the GPX format but ease of use is also a factor. Although Wikiloc, Maps.me and OSMand all use data from the Open Street Map project OSMand shows more detailed maps.

On a recent walk I was going in the opposite direction than normal and I took a wrong turn. I was in familiar territory though and found a spot where I knew where to go next. I used both Maps.me and OSMand to look at the map of the area. My phone wasn't able to get a GPS signal though. Maps.me showed a lot of trail junctions and a few streams and I would have had to do some head scratching to figure out which way to go if I didn't know already. The OSMand map showed the numbered post I was standing next to with the number displayed on the map. It also showed a footbridge. Obviously it was easier to figure out my position on the map with OSMand.

And after having dowloaded some maps, you also need to pay for it, isn't is?

Yes. You get 6 or 7 free maps. The maps cover a bigger area than the ones Maps me has though. One for the state of North Carolina instead of six.

Download any kml file into it (also the ones you find on wikiloc) and it appears.

Almost, and I'm quibbling here, but with Maps.me you have to move the map around with zooms and swipes to get to the area where the track is. I did this last night when in Massachusetts I opened up a kml track for northern New Hampshire. The screen didn't automatically show the area of the track. I had to zoom out, find and move to the area of the map where the track would be shown and then zoom in.

I've long wanted to do a detailed analysis of these mapping apps for use on the caminos but I just haven't gotten around to it yet. My hunch is, that for most pilgrims, I would recommend Maps.me.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Oh, yeah; if you want to follow someone else's track with the free Wikiloc app try the following (I have not tried this myself but I think it would work). Do what I mentioned earlier about downloading foo.gpx and then rename it to bar.gpx. Open that and then upload to your Wikiloc account. Delete the bar.gpx file on your phone and then download bar.gpx from Wikiloc. Wikiloc may see this as your file and allow to to start following it with its features (miles traveled on it, miles to go, warning you when off track, etc.)

The above works but it was harder to do than I thought it would. I had to edit the file to remove some data and change some other data before having the file manager have Wikiloc open it. It isn't likely that anyone wants to go though the trouble of foing that so I'm not going to go though the trouble of writing out the details.

 

[islandwalker]

I've long wanted to do a detailed analysis of these mapping apps for use on the caminos but I just haven't gotten around to it yet. My hunch is, that for most pilgrims, I would recommend Maps.me.

Nice summary, especially of the differences in map details. Thanks, Rick. I'll look forward to your further thoughts on the comparisons. I'll add that if a person is looking for alternative tracks beyond a main pilgrim route, it's worth considering the $4.95 for three month's use of Wikiloc for the ease of doing it all within one app, for finding alternative tracks using 'search by passing area', and for supporting the platform that provides such a wealth of information and tracks to choose from.

 

[Barry Corbett]

We have an I phone 6.....will the gps work in airplane mode or do we need a newer version I.e I phone 8?

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

We have an I phone 6.....will the gps work in airplane mode or do we need a newer version I.e I phone 8?

I'm not familiar with iPhones but GPS uses a radio RECEIVER. Airplane mode is intended to stop radio TRANSMISSIONS. On Androids (mine at least) GPS works fine in airplane mode.

By the way, airplane mode is the reason why you download the apps, maps and tracks ahead of time. That way you use the data already on the phone instead of using wifi or cellular data.

GPS also uses a lot of smartphone battery. If you follow a track you could run out of power but if it is off and you turn it on and just use it to find your location and which way to go to get back on the camino (if you need to) you will save the power.

 

[Barry Corbett]

Nice summary, especially of the differences in map details. Thanks, Rick. I'll look forward to your further thoughts on the comparisons. I'll add that if a person is looking for alternative tracks beyond a main pilgrim route, it's worth considering the $4.95 for three month's use of Wikiloc for the ease of doing it all within one app, for finding alternative tracks using 'search by passing area', and for supporting the platform that provides such a wealth of information and tracks to choose from.

I'm not familiar with iPhones but GPS uses a radio RECEIVER. Airplane mode is intended to stop radio TRANSMISSIONS. On Androids (mine at least) GPS works fine in airplane mode.

By the way, airplane mode is the reason why you download the apps, maps and tracks ahead of time. That way you use the data already on the phone instead of using wifi or cellular data.

GPS also uses a lot of smartphone battery. If you follow a track you could run out of power but if it is off and you turn it on and just use it to find your location and which way to go to get back on the camino (if you need to) you will save the power.

I'm not familiar with iPhones but GPS uses a radio RECEIVER. Airplane mode is intended to stop radio TRANSMISSIONS. On Androids (mine at least) GPS works fine in airplane mode.

By the way, airplane mode is the reason why you download the apps, maps and tracks ahead of time. That way you use the data already on the phone instead of using wifi or cellular data.

GPS also uses a lot of smartphone battery. If you follow a track you could run out of power but if it is off and you turn it on and just use it to find your location and which way to go to get back on the camino (if you need to) you will save the power.

I'm not familiar with iPhones but GPS uses a radio RECEIVER. Airplane mode is intended to stop radio TRANSMISSIONS. On Androids (mine at least) GPS works fine in airplane mode.

By the way, airplane mode is the reason why you download the apps, maps and tracks ahead of time. That way you use the data already on the phone instead of using wifi or cellular data.

GPS also uses a lot of smartphone battery. If you follow a track you could run out of power but if it is off and you turn it on and just use it to find your location and which way to go to get back on the camino (if you need to) you will save the power.

thanks for the help

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Another thing about GPS on phones and airplane mode - when you turn on GPS because you want to see where you then at the same time turn airplane mode off (i.e. allowing calls) until your position is found and pinpointed. Then you can get back into airplane mode again if you want. You don't NEED to do this but the software can more easily and quickly compute your approximate position using celltowers and that speeds up getting the more accurate GPS position. Once you have that initial reading you can leave GPS on without needing the celltowers.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

We have an I phone 6.....will the gps work in airplane mode or do we need a newer version I.e I phone 8?

I thought of a test. I have a GPS app called My GPS Coordinates (free adware). It shows your location printing it out as latitude and longtitude (which can be shared various ways such as email or being copied to the clipboard ). Install this app. Put your phone into airplane mode, turn on GPS/Location and then run the app. See what it does.

Add more GPS apps once you see that GPS works in airplane mode.

An example of using the app that I mentioned on the camino is to take a picture, start the app and then email the coordinates to a friend. The email shows the coordinates but also creates a link to Google Maps that will show the location. Before sending the email add a comment about your picture and then attach the picture. If you are in airplane mode and wifi is not available either I hope your phone will just queue up the email to be sent later. I would do this once you are connected to wifi.

 

[alipilgrim]

maps.me (map app) doesn't need a cellular connection as long as you've downloaded the region's maps ahead of time