Have you ever reached the top of a ski lift and thought ‘what’s over that rise?’, perhaps you have seen people or tracks going away from the piste goes and have wondered ‘where are they heading?’. With FATMAP 3D freeride snowboarding maps for mobile, you can answer those questions instantly on your smartphone.
Introducing FATMAP 3D ski maps
The ultra-high resolution 3D ski maps by FATMAP don’t just help those wanting to head off piste, they also have 3D maps of the pisted runs. It shows you exactly where you and your friends are, they include every mountain facility, restaurant, mountian name and view point.
If you are an experienced skier or snowboarder with all the equipment, skills and training to head off-piste, then FATMAP gives you the information you need to make better safety decisions about avalanche risk and crevasses. Whether you’re with a qualified guide or friends, you can check the terrain and plan routes suitable for your ability.
But it is not just gorgeous maps, FATMAP also tracks your routes through GPS, recording stats such as speed, vertical and gradient. You can watch 3D flythroughs of your runs and everything is easily shareable. You can also contribute to the FATMAP community with reviews and comments.
FATMAP does all of this from your mobile without using any data. You download the 3D freeride snowboarding map before you go, so it is instantly available to you on the mountain. This also means you can spend time familiarising yourself with the area – and plan some gnarly lines – before you head to the resort.
FATMAP appreciate not everyone wants to head off-piste, so they offer a free version that is great for piste skiers, and a pro version that includes the off-piste resources to help you stay safe. This means those that want to get more from their skiing experience can choose the version that suits them, and in-resort skiers do not pay for features they do not need.
I feel at this point a little safety lecture is in order for those planning to go off-piste. FATMAP is an aid to heading off-piste and backcountry, you are responsible for your safety, ensuing everyone in your group has the right gear and training. FATMAP Pro provides you with the resources to make better decisions, how you use the information is what will keep you safe.
FATMAP features
As of January 2016 FATMAP is available in 68 resorts across Europe and North America. This includes nine ski areas in France covering 26 ski resorts, five ski areas and 11 resorts in Switzerland, two ski areas and four resorts in Italy and one ski area covering four resorts in Austria. In North America there are 21 one resorts in the US and two in Canada.
There are more resorts being added all the time, you can see a full list here: www.fatmap.com. Below are the ‘Free’ and ‘Pro’ features that make the FATMAP 3D freeride snowboarding maps so unique and useful, plus a video demonstrating their use.
FATMAP free features
Beautiful high-resolution 3D maps, that are interactive and intuitive to use, so you never get lost again. Use them to find a restaurant, know the name of a mountain or ski only sunny slopes.- Piste mapping and profiling replaces the traditional piste map, meaning you can explore the pistes, plan routes, and ensure you are on runs suitable for your ability.
- 3D fly-throughs to experience a run before you ski it. Great for the nervous intermediate skiers who is not sure about trying a red, or for snowboarders to check out any flat patches.
- Ski tracking and stats: All your key stats such as speed, vertical and gradient are recorded and available to gloat over in the pub later.
- Useful interactive resort information such as weather, first aid, emergency numbers and bus stops (some of these go to external sites and use data).
- Got a mate who always goes the wrong way (yes John I am talking about you)? Never lose them again with location sharing.
- Social sharing: make your mates back home jealous by sharing your epic lines.
FATMAP pro features
In addition to the above free features, on FATMAP Pro you get 3D freeride snowboarding maps with everything you need to make safer decisions off-piste.
- Ultra high-resolution 3D maps: The gorgeous free maps get an upgrade to show even more detail.
- Freeride mapping and profiling: From famous off-piste lines to less known routes, the off-piste is mapped out for you so you can plan a route suitable to the conditions and your ability.
- Avalanche zones are identified using the Munter Reduction Method that looks at gradient and current environmental and snow conditions.Gradient heat mapping of the slopes shows the areas of greatest avalanche risk so you can take adequate safety precautions.
- Altitude segmentation shows you how high you are on the mountain, so you can consider how that will impact the quality of the snow pack.
- Aspect mapping helps you know if the slope has been facing towards the sun, to give you a better idea of the snow pack quality.
- Crevasse zones are categorised into ‘glacier’, ‘crevassed’ and ‘highly crevassed’ areas so you can take extra precautions when skiing or snowboarding on a glacier.
3D freeride snowboarding maps for mobile
From the comfort of my office, I had a play with FATMAP 3D freeride snowboarding maps for mobile. I was very impressed with the detail in the maps and was immersed for half an hour playing. The fly through of runs both on and off-piste were particularly good.
The various freeride features help you see the mountain in a new light – literally – by colour coding gradient, altitude, aspect, avalanche and crevasse zones. The additional info such as quick access emergency numbers, links to weather and the resort are all very useful.
Overall it is clear that FATMAP take safety seriously. There is a warning when you open the app, and when you click off-piste it asks if you have the training, gear and experience etc. Furthermore when viewing off-piste lines it talks about the difficulty, dangers and suggests equipment that is required.
I was hugely impressed, and I am looking forward to using it on the mountain later in the season. When I have tried it on the snow, I’ll let you know how I found FATMAP 3D freeride snowboarding maps for mobile.
To find out more about FATMAP visit their website: www.fatmap.com
