For hiking and outdoor activity enthusiasts, this is an essential tool! The Visorando platform is a must-have app for planning outdoor outings. Accessible from a computer, there is also a mobile app for easy access from your smartphone.
What is Visorando?
It’s one of France’s largest platforms for hiking routes. As well as routes for walking, it covers other outdoor activities: cycling, mountain biking, skiing, snowshoeing, canoeing and horse riding. The Visorando platform gives access to nearly 20,000 routes.
It is available as a smartphone app. It can also be accessed from your computer from the comfort of your own home.
Using the Visorando app while hiking
Once on the app interface, it's straightforward: you can search by geolocation of routes around your current position, or enter a specific starting point such as your home address.
A list of walks will be suggested, allowing you to choose based on different criteria: distance, elevation gain, and approximate duration. You can then select your route according to your walking pace, the level of difficulty, and the area you want to explore.
Plan your route in the best possible way with Visorando!
Through the Visorando app, a detailed description of the selected route is provided. It is also possible to download the map and the information sheet related to the hiking trip. Other useful features include route tracing on a given map and unlimited offline map downloads. It is indeed possible to create your own GPX track, and only these tracks in GPX format can be imported. Finally, you can geolocate the starting point of the hiking route. Using your smartphone's navigation app, you can then get there more easily.
Beyond these general features, Visorando is a great source of walk ideas and helps you get out hiking on a variety of terrains. You can draw on suggestions from other users, their impressions and comments, or their photos.
IGN maps, great deals: extra features for Visorando Premium members
For users who have subscribed to Visorando Premium, additional features are available. For example, access to IGN map layers (usable directly on the mobile app or downloadable to your watch) is enhanced thanks to an advanced route-drawing tool: more intuitive, with a wealth of options (full-screen mode, generate a return route, reverse direction, import/export multiple GPX files, compare and merge multiple tracks, automatic map recentring to make it easier to plot hiking routes).
Visorando Premium also gives members access to benefits from the platform’s partners. CIMALP is one of Visorando’s partners, giving Visorando Premium members 15% off every item in the brand’s catalogue. Joining Visorando is therefore a way to explore Cimalp, a specialist in outdoor clothing and equipment, at a preferential price.
Getting properly kitted out before heading out hiking
Choosing the right equipment is essential before setting off on a hike. Which boots should you wear? How should you pack your rucksack? Which walking poles should you choose? What belongs in your first-aid kit? These are all questions worth answering before you go.
The main factors to consider when choosing your hiking clothing and hiking equipment are:
- your physical fitness
- the duration of the hiking trip (day hike or multi-day)
- the terrain (forest trail, mid-mountain or high mountain, rough ground, with elevation gain)
- weather conditions
Read our six tips before you set off hiking. Then all that’s left is to get your kit ready and download the Visorando app to your mobile!
Watch this article as a video.
