The Best Tracking Apps on the Slopes
Peek-a-boo! I see you!
If you had plans of disappearing off the face of the Earth, the latest tech trends on snow are doing a great job of making that much less of a reality. The good news is, you won’t be alone. Ever. Here’s some of the best apps available for your next time on the hill.
The Apps
Rossignol + PIQ
The long: Okay, this isn’t just an app. It’s an app in conjunction with PIQ + Rossi’s Robot, which is a small critter that attaches to your ski boot and collects a large amount of data ranging from your angle and number of turns to the amount of rotations in the air. This device, of course, connects to an app to display these data points in an attractive and organized manner.
The short: If you’re looking to dial in a microscope and analyze every possible element of your skiing, this could be your best friend. If you tend to overthink everything, maybe steer clear and practice meditation.
Available for Android & iPhone
MTN HUB
The long: Backed by Backcountry.com and Black Diamond, this app is an essential tool for back-country enthusiasts looking for every tool possible to aid in their adventures. The app features a user-friendly topographic map that, with the push of a button, will add layers to the maps giving the user valuable information such as slope, elevation, and aspect–vital information for travel in the back country. Perhaps the neatest function is the social aspect of the app that allows you to share your observations, anecdotes, and of course pictures from your wild adventure.
The short: A must-have for outdoor enthusiasts interested in finding powder stashes off-piste and deep in the back country.
Available for Android & iPhone
SNOCRU
The long: Garnering prodigious awards as the #1 snowsports app from Snowboard Magazine, Wired Magazine, Tech Cocktail, Freeskier Magazine, and SKI Magazine, there’s plenty of reason to love this app. Beyond its tracking capabilities, the app features a way to find and track your friends and family on the mountain, which for anyone who has been skiing ever, knows can be a near impossible task. With real-time updates of your whereabouts on the hill, SNOCRU makes the impossible task of finding your buddies doable.
The short: For a beautifully designed app that allows tracking and the ability to find friends on the mountain, this should be in everyone’s quiver.
Available for Android & iPhone
Trace Snow
The long: A well-known ski/snowboard tracking app, Trace has a reputation for accurate tracking and neat features with the use of GPS alone. Similar to the PIQ Robot, Trace can catch your air time, vertical, and speed on resort maps all over the country. The app has also garnered enough of a following to be selected as the official app for Steamboat, Winter Park Resort, Mt. Tremblant, Snowshoe, Stratton, Blue Mountain, China Peak, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Stoneham, and Canaan.
The short: For a budget-minded skier/snowboarder looking for an easy way to track without much hassle, this should be your go-to. Just keep an external battery pack in your pocket.