New Zealand tramping adventures have become a whole lot safer with the launch of a world-first trip-planning app.
Plan My Walk – developed by the Mountain Safety Council (MSC) and supported by NZ Police – takes the guesswork out of the trip planning phase by bringing together the information needed for a safe and successful walk or tramp.
The easy-to-use app includes more than 1000 Department of Conservation (DOC) tracks, MetService weather forecasts and severe weather warnings, track-specific alerts, interactive gear lists and other useful advice.
One unique feature enables users to create a trip plan in which they can add group members, assign an emergency contact, and then share the plan with others.
“One of my team used it the other day and put me as the contact person,” said Auckland SAR Coordinator, Sergeant Scott Iszard.
“It worked well and is really easy. If they are overdue etc they just need to forward the email to comms/SAR, and it should give us some really good info for initial taskings.”
Coordinator Search and Rescue, Training and Development, Senior Sergeant Pete Theobald said the app and Plan My Walk website were practical tools for helping put the New Zealand Land Safety Code into practice.
“People can find a trip that suits their skills and fitness, get weather alerts, build a list of gear and share their plans with friends and family,” he said.
MSC Chief Executive, Mike Daisley says the app is a revolutionary step forward in supporting walkers and trampers’ safety in New Zealand’s outdoors.
“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.
“Our research indicated that it was really important that users could share intel with others because this type of advice can be some of the most helpful when users are planning.
“We’re really confident there is a need for this type of app and that it will make a difference.”
You can download the Plan My Walk app from the iOS App Store or Google Play Store, or find it online at www.planmywalk.nz.
