Avatech Launches Avanet - a backcountry skiers new best friend
So what's Avanet and who's Avatech? If you remember back to September of last year we told you about Avatech and their revolutionary SP1 Probe. It reads snowpack structure, slope angle and aspect in seconds and then geo-tags the data, and uploads it real-time onto the Avanet platform. Avatech is an outdoor technology company based in Park City who’s developing the first global crowdsourced platform of mountain safety information.
Avatech's Avanet platform has been used by over 500 professional organizations from 34 countries. In 2014/15 season it was only available to professionals but this season that’s all about to change. Avanet will be the first truly global crowdsourced platform of mountain safety information. It has three core elements to the platform, they include Crowdsourced mountain safety information, Route planning & mobile tracking, and Dynamic terrain visualization.
Crowdsourced mountain safety information:
Easily document, geo-tag and share avalanche, weather, wind, snowpack, snowpack test, and snow condition observations through an easy to use interface. Share your own observations to help others and see real-time observations of the community.
Route planning & mobile tracking:
On Avanet web, you can plan out routes on over a dozen topographic and aerial map overlays, all with the context of peer-sourced safety observations. Avanet automatically calculates distances, elevation gain and loss, estimated Munter times between segments and more. Routes can be downloaded to GPX and your mobile phone can then track your actual route versus your planned route.
Dynamic terrain visualization:
Built in powerful GIS level terrain visualization tools so you can dynamically visualize terrain based on aspect, elevation, and slope angle, select go / no go zones, and more.
All you need is a smart phone and you’ll have all of this functionality in your pocket each time you venture out into the mountains. Use the app to record your observations and when you return home after your ski tour or obtain a wifi or cell network all of your data will be uploaded to Avanet for all to see.
There are multiple levels on the Avanet platform from recreationalists, to advanced backcountry travellers, to elite professionals. Here’s the breakdown:
Avanet Free – Basic observation sharing, global topo and aerial maps, route tracking (recreational)
Avanet Tour – More advanced obs, route planning & tracking, global maps, dynamic terrain analysis tools (recreational)
Avanet Pro – For ski patrol, guides, forecasters, avalanche educators and includes professional grade observations, professional route planning, the most comprehensive one stop shot for aerial and topo maps, and robust data sharing architecture for the pro community.
We’re going to be running Avanet in the backcountry this winter so check back for our thoughts on it and download the app so you can see our data and also contribute the the community. The more people that contribute the more informed and safer we’ll all be out there!
Here’s a video preview of why you may want to download the new Avanet app from iTunes:
Just incase I missed anything, here is the official press release:
Avanet Launches Updated Avanet, a Crowdsourced Mobile & Web Platform of Mountain Safety information for Snow Pros and Now Recreationalists
PARK CITY, Utah (November 18, 2015) Avatech, an outdoor technology company focused on developing breakthrough, mountain safety technologies, announces the launch of Avanet, the world’s first crowdsourced, real-time platform of mountain safety information. Avanet is now available to both recreational and professional users for download on the web at http://www.avatech.com and on mobile in the iTunes Store.
“At Avatech our mission is to build a safer mountain community. The Avanet platform helps everyone communicate and share information in the mountains more easily than ever before. Our global mountain community can now share real-time, geo-tagged observations of snow conditions, weather, wind, avalanches and more,” says Brint Markle, co-founder and CEO of Avatech. “Now all mountain travelers – skiers, snowboarders, snowmobilers, snowshoers, mountaineers and the professional snow community – can benefit from the information shared on the Avanet mountain safety platform. And when we share information, it’s a win-win for everyone.”
The new Avanet mobile app allows users to upload an array of mountain safety observations including photos, videos and comments, as well as view alerts or observations from others traveling nearby. Avanet mobile is built for the mountain environment and works both in and out-of-cell reception. The mobile app also includes a route-tracking feature that allows users to monitor key statistics from their tours. Users can select over 20 different topo and aerial maps all on a single platform fully integrated with observation information. All mobile data is synched with the Avanet web platform, where users can plan and share routes and dynamically visualize terrain on Avanet’s new GIS platform.
“Avanet could generate an influx of mountain observations from both recreationalists and snow professionals,” says Ethan Greene, director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. “This will benefit individual backcountry users, and we are working together to create a seamless way for those observations to reach forecast centers such as CAIC that rely on observation data to create regional forecasts.”
Packaged to serve the most appropriate mountain traveler, the Avanet mobile and web app is available in three versions: Avanet, Avanet Tour and Avanet Pro. Avanet is a complimentary version for recreational mountain travelers and includes such features as basic topographical and aerial maps, tour tracking and the ability to submit and view public observations. Avanet Tour ($5 per month) includes additional features like terrain visualization and route planning tools. Avanet Pro ($10 per month) is the most feature-rich platform designed for professional guides and snow safety professionals and includes such additional tools as advanced route planning, professional-grade observation sharing, pro data access and more.
“The more knowledge you have the better,” says professional skier and mountaineer Chris Davenport. “Crowdsourced, real-time information about what’s happening in the mountains, in the backcountry, benefits professional forecast centers and backcountry users everywhere. I use Avanet in the field and trip planning, and it’s been a game-changer in how I prepare to go into the mountains.”
