FATMAP Ultra-High Resolution 3D Ski Mapping App Comes to Chamonix

FATMAP's founding partners Dave Cowell and Misha Gopaul came up with the concept of FATMAP when on a ski expedition to Albania in 2010 and have developed their ideas into an app that they believe will revolutionise skiing and snowboarding this winter.

Mischa is a member of the British ski mountaineering team and on the Swiss mountain guide training scheme, and Dave is an experienced software developer and self-confessed mapping geek. They've worked closely with mountain guides, ski mountaineers, mountain leaders and climbers based in the UK and Alps, mountaineering bodies and mountain rescue professionals to ensure that FATMAP delivers the very best and up-to-date information needed by its users.

The app Combines cutting edge mobile and gaming technology to produce ultra-high resolution 3D maps, which can be used by both piste skiers and freeriders alike. For the first time, you'll be able to use the highly accurate GPS-enabled navigation software to locate yourself in complex terrain before leaving the house and on the mountain. The mapping is much more detailed than you'll find on google earth or google maps (which takes a view every 30 metres) whereas FATMAP's bespoke mapping shows details every 2 metres, giving a much more defined view of the terrain.

For freeriders, FATMAP is set to become an invaluable tool both for planning and to use when in the backcountry. Detailed freeride mapping shows exactly where the hidden off-piste lines are including information on steepness, length and difficulty. The 3D fly throughs will help skiers experience the line before heading out into the mountains and they can then be followed with ease with accurate GPS-enabled navigation, all in ultra-high resolution 3D. For freeriders, safety is of paramount importance, so FATMAP also has detailed terrain intelligence that identifies avalanche risk zones, crevasse zones and slope gradients, bringing together all of the essential information in one place. This information will allow people to make informed safety decisions and equip them with knowledge that will help them travel more safely in the mountains.

For piste skiers the detailed piste mapping feature can be used to plan a day on the slopes and help identify the sunniest pistes, best restaurants and give information on lift status and weather conditions. It is also the perfect tool for finding out where friends or children are with real-time location sharing. And for those keen to record and share their experiences, FATMAP also allows users to record distance travelled, vertical descent and speed and create their own unique 3D fly-throughs for sharing on their social networks.

Misha Gopaul, co-founder of FATMAP, said of the launch: “FATMAP is based on a simple principle. ‘Know more. Do more.’ We believe that uncertainty can often stop skiers and snowboarders from challenging their limits, so we created FATMAP to empower them with the tools and information, to explore further, safely. Contour maps are great but they are missing a lot of context specific information useful for skiing and understanding dangers requires inference and expert knowledge. FATMAP brings together all of the essential terrain, navigation, safety and condition information in one place on a high resolution, GPS-enabled, 3D winter map. We believe FATMAP has a very real place in the snowsports market and will become an essential tool for all skiers and snowboarders, in particular those looking to explore the mountain safely.”

FATMAP will launch in December 2014, initially covering Chamonix, Verbier, Zermatt, Val D’Isere & Tignes (Espace Killy) and Les Arcs & La Plagne (Paradiski) with many more resorts launching throughout the winter season. It can be downloaded via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. All users will be able to download a FREE trial prior to purchase. Once downloaded you can choose from either the ‘Piste’ or ‘Freeride’ version for your favourite resort. The cost of the version will vary depending on the size of the resort area however ‘Piste’ will be available from £2.99 per resort per year and ‘Freeride’ will be available from £9.99 per resort per year.

We've had a sneak preview of the app, and it has to be said the fly-throughs and level of detail on the mapping are pretty impressive!

Watch out for our snow reports this winter where some of our reporters will be testing out the app first hand. For more information about FATMAP click on the website link above.