Who said cycling is seasonal? Fat biking lets you explore winter wonderland while staying warm. And if you can ride a bike, you can ride a fat bike over snow. Learn what this sport is all about, where to go, and how to fat bike like a pro.
How-To
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Exploring great backcountry terrain often goes hand in hand with the threat of avalanches, but with careful route planning and rational terrain management, dangerous slides can largely be avoided. Before you head into the backcountry, brush up on how to use the best maps to identify avalanche terrain and plan the safest routes.
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From staying on course to checking avalanche forecasts, navigating with Gaia GPS proves even more valuable during winter. But you can’t use your phone if it dies in the cold. Learn how to preserve your phone battery when the temperature drops.
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Take your adventure planning to the next level by learning to create routes like the pros. Join our Gaia GPS expert as he shows you step by step how to build a multi-day hiking route, save your plan, and share it with a friend for offline use.
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Have you ever grabbed your backpack and rushed out the door only to find out at the trailhead that you forgot to download your digital maps to your phone? When this unfortunate event happens, digital maps in the app appear fuzzy and out-of-focus as soon as you leave cell service. We have a solution for you: Gaia Topo. Learn more about how you can download your entire state’s topo map in a matter of minutes.
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Navigation is the one skill every backpacker should know. It puts you in charge of your itinerary, and improves your peace of mind. Plus, it gives you confidence that you’ll always be able to find what you need—and find your way home.
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Bear attacks are uncommon, but can be fatal and can be avoided. Prevent bear attacks in the backcountry by following these bear safety tips from wildlife experts.
Use Gaia GPS Like the Pros with these American Mountain Guide Association Tutorials
by Abby Levene
by Abby Levene
As winter looms, the AMGA is here to provide educational resources for using Gaia GPS to the fullest for safer planning and navigation. In this series of short videos, AMGA/IFMGA guide Silas Rossi runs through how to use Gaia GPS to plan a route, better use your phone as a GPS unit in the field, and record a track.
Hiking and trail running accomplish a similar objective. But by moving lighter and faster, running allows you to cover more territory in less time. Running can also provide a rejuvenating exercise regime during busy week days and cold winters. Learn how to build on your hiking skills to run safely, stay injury-free, and have fun.
Knowing how to read a topographic map is the foundation to any backcountry adventure. Through the use of contour lines, topo maps bring a 3-dimensional element to a 2-dimensional paper map, allowing you to visualize the rise and fall of the land and “see” the depths of canyons, the location of boggy meadows, and the height and shape of mountain