- Strava just introduced a set of new hiking features
- These include revamped Maps, available to everyone this summer…
- …and exclusive premium features like off-road alerts
Strava users are getting an updated set of hiking features, and almost all of them are available now. Most of the new features are exclusive to Premium subscribers, although some additions are also available for free users.
Top of the list, and the only feature delayed until later this summer, are styling improvements to Strava’s mapping software. According to Strava, “athletes will be able to see more comprehensive trail surface data, along with clearer points of interest such as trailheads, picnic areas, and campsites, making dense trail networks legible at a glance.”
This feature is available for both free and premium users. It represents a huge quality of life update, helping even free users plan routes in advance, while Premium users will be able to use it in conjunction with the route creation tools, which have also been updated with dedicated trail features. If you’re planning a big hiking trip and are already a Strava user, you could get a lot out of temporarily signing up for Strava Premium, as you get a 30-day free trial.
Other new additions include off-route alerts, a feature that “notifies athletes when they deviate from a planned route, so they can correct course before getting lost,” according to Strava. This is already used by rivals like AllTrails and has corrected my course more than once during a hike, so it’s good to see it here.
Activity Replays is a new feature that provides an animated loop of your walk when you share it; This is also something AllTrails does, but what AllTrails doesn’t have is Strava’s huge user base of people who love to share their workouts. I imagine many advanced users will really enjoy posting an eye-catching video of their hike.
Premium users can download routes in advance for areas with poor signal. This is not a new feature, but it is especially relevant for hikers. Users with one of the best Apple Watches can also follow routes on their wrist, without a phone.
Aside from the Maps revamp, all of the features mentioned above are now available. Strava Premium is becoming increasingly valuable as a comprehensive fitness app experience, and is working hard to eat the lunch of companies like AllTrails and Komoot.
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