Sotamaps / Tracks

I have done many activities abroad in recent years. I upload the tracks at sotamaps to almost all Summits. Unfortunately, only very few activators do this. However, this is very helpful if you are not familiar. I wonder why only so few activists do this.

Maybe this function is not known.

hello thomas,

there are 4691 tracks from 221 different activators in the SMP database so far! i have uploaded 197 tracks to SMP in the last years … mostly of my region in upper austria. you should come to OE/OO region, there are a lot of gps-tracks on SMP! when i go to summits i’ve never been before i always have a look if someone has uploaded a gps-track!

but not everyone is using a gps-device, not everyone knows how to edit the gpx-files on the computer. and of course not everyone knows that there is this tool on SMP! so it’s good that you brought up this topic here and maybe encourage some activators to upload gps-tracks in the future.

here is a list of the top 20 gps-track uploaders:

73 martin, oe5reo

Hello

Thanks. That’s 3.5 percent.

Hi Thomas,
I would suggest the majority of activators don’t record tracks (other than perhaps with a pen on a paper map).

Many do not have GPS devices to do this and even though there are smartphone Apps, it’s an extra complication for the activator to take care of and many will simply not see the value in the extra cost and extra work.

I would suggest that those who are submitting tracks were hikers/climbers before they got involved in SOTA and such recording of tracks may be a common action in walker circles but it is less widespread in SOTA.

I prefer to record my activation through my blog using words and pictures.

73 Ed.

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Hello Thomas,
May be we are a bit lazy or are short of time!
(i have a lot of tracks that are in my to do list).

The way i proceed:

I get my android phone and use a free application like “TwoNav” to record the trace.
(i can also record the track with my (Icom ID51).

When back at home, on my PC, i edit the track file with program “GpxTraceNet”

Then i login and upload it to SotaMapping, with comments that i think usefull.

Of course, it is a lot of time to spend, and i am not sure someone uses it.
I have never had feedback.

73 from Gerald F6HBI

Hi all,

I think it will improve with single-sign-on getting reality. So far getting another account for sotamaps was not appealing to everyone I guess. Soon it will be available to every activator that has a sotadata account by default. The additional information I would say is the important one.
Parking, public transport, how much time is needed (for an average hiker - although that is already difficult), water sources. terrain and path.
A GPS track will help but without additional reseach it might not help.
Btw. just uploaded the one from todays hike to Langfirst @OE5REO

73 de joe

Thank you for the first reaction. Since I often or almost do sota only on vacation, I always look first to the tracks in sotamaps. If I find one there it is very clear what awaits me on the mountain. Otherwise, the planing is usually difficult. I use the Iphon app mytracks and https://www.gpsies.com.

73 Thomas EA5/DL8DBW/p

I use the Android app OSMTracker.
But I only uploaded 14 tracks so far … Ha ! That must be the 14 summits where G4OBK hasn’t been … yet.
I also put lots more information on my blog: parking spots, pictures, warnings … more info than can be provided in the track comment.
But I do look at the tracks of previous activators when planning a trip.
73 - Luc ON7DQ

2 reasons why I haven’t uploaded tracks:-

  1. I’m not confident in being able to do so.
  2. I rarely ever take the easy or short route to a summit if there’s a more interesting route - some of mine are strictly scrambling or climbing routes.

Hi,

I have used the bad weather here with plenty of snow and avalance alerts to go through my tracks of 2018 and have now uploaded them to SOTAmaps! This includes also the tracks from my summer vacation on Tenerife. Somehow I have to stay in the top 20 of the SOTA maps good guys list!

Thomas is right: This valuable tool is not used as often as it deserves to be. In unfamiliar areas I have often lost valuable SOTA time while searching for parking lots or nice days were ruined when the planned trail was completely overgrown and unusable. I think that the local guys have some responsibilty to guide others. If you feel unfamiliar with GPS and tracks a few lines of text describing parking lots and routes of access placed in the summit page would also help. It does not have to be a gps track for every summit.

73 Heinz

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Hi David,

  1. I rarely ever take the easy or short route to a summit if there’s a more interesting route - some of mine are strictly scrambling or climbing routes.

This makes it even more interesting to share. The “plain” routes are usually easy to find. The more “adventurous” routes are the ones you will not find without local knowledge. There is no limit to how many routes to a given summit you can upload (I think?). Simply describe them as what they are (climbing, hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, biking,…) and you have helped others.

73 Heinz

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Since some days I have the problem that the system logs me out after about 2 minutes. It is not possible to create tracks in time. Do you have the same problem?
I get the error message:

Your login session with SOTA has expired.

You will no longer be able to view detailed
activations data - do you wish to login again?

Enable third party cookies, ensure any script blockers (like NoScript) are accepting sotamps.org and sota.org.uk domains.

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You need a holiday in CT3. The two unactivated summits are both challenging and one needs rock climbing skills (the other a really good head for exposure)

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Thanks Heinz OE5EEP, Gerald F6HBI and Siji JG4LCS for sharing your tracks in the SMP this year - 32 more tracks uploaded so far in 2019, a great start! Let us hope others who use GPS join in. There should be as many takers as givers - we don not know who the track takers are but I imagine the MT do. I am certainly one of them if the information is available - for Scotland there is very little. Wales is excellent though - plenty of GPX track information which I have used, thanks to the contributions of MW0WML, G4TJC, GW4VPX and others.

As well as helping others in this way - sharing your routes and tracks in the SMP - the other positive thing to reflect on is this - what a marvellous legacy to leave behind - GPX tracks for others to use, when one has left this mortal coil and gone to the grave or the fire.

4 more Scottish tracks uploaded this afternoon, which were activated this week:

GM/SS-030 White Coomb
GM/SS-168 Law Kneis
GM/SS-074 Ettrick Pen
GM/SS-119 Ward Law

Appropriate comments written to assist - buyer beware! I’m not a mountain climber and no scrambling was necessary on all these tracks. The skill needed is determination and tenacity (in some cases) in negoiating burns, boggy land, tussocks and fallen forestry hihi…

Blog to be written up when I find time.

Happy New Year - may all who read this survive and continue to climb this year to their own personal SOTA Challenges!

Summit pic of White Coomb GM/SS-030 on 2nd January:

73 Phil G4OBK

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