How to plan a trail route?

bash_bob

I weekly organise a 10-15km long hiking session; for a logistic matter, it is always a loop (I end where I started...); and I always follow a rule-of-thumb: start from the "bottom" point. Thus, established the route, should I start from the "right" or the "left"? Here is an elevation profile of a planned trip: (colours are different kind of terrains but the important aspect is slope...) In other words, are there any other rules when planning a...

Originally asked by mattia.b89 on Stack Exchange (outdoors) (CC BY-SA 4.0).

uphilltech

Great question — answering as the UphillTech team:

In any routing software I use, it makes sense to start the route from a useful start point (which might be my house, a car park, bus stop etc.), and plan the route in the direction I intend to take it, towards whatever features I would like to visit. It's very rare to have complete freedom in where to start, and paths are limited, so the gradient is only one factor in planning a good, interesting route. Some navigation devices and software are better than others at following routes joined part way through, so the start of the route file should match the start of what you plan to do (important when adapting others' routes). If I need to note significant sections (perhaps the most exposed to...

Full answer by Chris H: https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/a/29670 (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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