It’s time to dig out your hat, gloves and scarf for a cosy jaunt in the fresh air, and here are the best apps to assist you on your way.
Walking does more than just get you out of the house and into the outdoors. According to the NHS regular walks are proven to reduce your risk of some illnesses including heart disease and stroke. Walking is also a great mood booster that can help to reduce your risk of depression. But if you have exhausted your list of local routes, don’t worry as there are plenty more trails to discover.
Travel experts from LuggageHero have rounded up the top 8 adventure walking apps to help you explore new trails in your local area. But please check the government guidelines on how far you can travel before you set off*.
#1 Randonautica
Interested in real-life discoveries? Randonautica is an app that encourages you to get out and explore, by giving you a randomised set of coordinates. All you need to do is set your location using GPS, add an ‘intention’ – which could be something as simple as ‘find something new’ – and then follow the directions to the random location.
Once you return from your trip, you are encouraged to share what you stumbled across on the game’s forum. Users have made some interesting discoveries including large bodies of water they did not know existed, old abandoned houses, and according to some TikTok users, even crime scenes. Check out the app here.
#2 Geocaching
Providing fun for the whole family, Geocaching is an app that allows you to take part in a digital treasure hunt. Whether you’re in the city centre or remote countryside there are hidden treasures all over the UK. All you need is a handheld GPS device and a sense of fun.
A geocache or ‘cache’ is a small treasure box hidden outdoors. The app guides users to find these hidden goodies using GPS on their smartphones or coordinates from the Geocaching website.
The geocache will contain a variety of trinkets and a logbook. Take a look through the items and see if there is anything you would like to take with you. Remember, when taking something replace it with another item of equal or greater value. If you’re looking to keep the family entertained during lockdown check out the app here.
#3 Star Walk 2
Star Walk 2 is a stargazing tool that takes you on a journey through the sky, but down on Earth. The app allows you to identify exactly what you’re looking at above just by holding your smartphone to the sky. You can learn about the stars, planets and satellites, explore their internal structure and see 3D models, all while discovering new local places to walk at night. Simply point your phone upwards and discover the world of astronomy around you. Check it out here.
#4 The Walk: Fitness Tracker App
Do you need a bit of motivation to get you walking more? The Walk, created with the NHS and the UK’s Department of Health, is an app that uses storytelling to encourage you to take daily walks.
The app makes walking that little bit more interesting by incorporating a political thriller story as part of its tracking. A bomb has exploded in Inverness station, and you’re given a package that could save the world. To stay alive, you need to walk the length of the UK. Making the journey more than just a way to get fitter, but also a challenge. Check out the app here.
#5 Spec Trek
Are you a ghost hunter unable to go on expeditions to find ghouls at the moment? Spec Trek is the perfect app to get your supernatural fix while staying safe in your local area.
The augmented reality ghost hunting game allows you to run or walk around while finding and catching spirits. At harder levels, it can become a fitness game. So if you want something to make your walks a bit more spooky while enjoying your daily exercise, check it out here.
#6 Ramblr
A new outdoor adventure is often exciting. When you are experiencing something incredible that the world has to offer, you’ll want to document everything.
Ramblr is a fantastic app that gives you the ability to write a short blog post about your expedition. The app also allows you to pull in stats, maps and routes, plus videos and images. Whether you are walking your usual route or exploring somewhere new, Ramblr allows you to tell your story in full detail. Check out the app here.
#7 Ingress Prime
The fate of the world depends on you. For a bit more adventure when doing your daily exercise, Ingress Prime is a cutting edge adventure game not too dissimilar to Pokemon Go.
As you explore the world around you, you can interact with different landmarks, monuments and public art installations to collect valuable resources using your Ingress Scanner. As part of the app you will be able to strategize and communicate with other agents in your neighbourhood and around the world to achieve victory for your faction. Ready to become an agent? Check out the app here.
#8 Komoot
Komoot is your best friend when exercising outdoors. If you are planning on going for a walk to somewhere new in your local area, it can be quite daunting not knowing how hard the walk will be or where it will take you.
The app allows users to plan their route, use offline mode so they can navigate without the internet and even use voice navigation.
Kamoot also allows you to track your hikes and make friends in your local community. By posting videos, information or images of your walks you can inspire others to follow your adventures. If you are ready to find and plan your next adventure, check out the app here.
All images are taken from Instagram.
