Apps Make Good Friends?: With Alltrails, Hikes and Debates

In the old days, not so long ago, the forward-thinking hiker would stuff a good old IGN map into his backpack. The ABC, you might say, before taking the first trail he came across, especially in the forest or the mountains. Even more forward-thinking, the seasoned hiker would prepare his route the day before or the day before that, and collectively if he was traveling in a group. And then, in the early 2010s, collaborative applications dedicated to hiking and outdoor activities (cycling, canoeing, skiing, etc.) emerged.

AllTrails, the first of these, the American market leader with more than 80 million users worldwide, was launched in 2010. Paid by subscription, it allows you to search for a walk adapted to your level, to download maps or routes to orient yourself using geolocation, to be followed live by a third party (just in case) and to alert you in the event of a problem. But also to