Adding routes

This site stores two types of geographical information: routes (route segments) and places.  

• 'Places' are locations (dots on the map)
  
• 'Route segments' are routes (squiggly lines) connecting two places. 
  

All longer end-to-end journeys stored in the site are made up from combinations of multiple route segments and places.

Each route segment (referred to simply as a route from here on) must start and end at a ‘place’  This may seem like a pain in the neck, but it’s how it works – get used to it!  Starting and ending routes at a place means that we automatically know what routes connect with each other (they have a common start- or end-place) and as such the website can accurately build up longer end-to-end journeys by combining adjoining route segments.

A place may well be a significant location where a day of your journey starts or ends, such as a roadend or a hut – but could equally be a track junction or confluence where another route branches off.  To make this ‘building block’ approach of route segments work, it is important that long routes be broken at intermediate track junctions, so that when future users write up journeys that fork off from yours – they can be combined with your route simply.

So, imagine I want to write up a journey from Huxley lodge roadend to Forks Hut.  I’d do the following:

• Place: Huxley Lodge (roadend)
  
• Route: Huxley Lodge roadend -> Monument Hut
  
• Place: Monument Hut
  
• Route: Monument Hut -> Huxley-Dobson confluence
  
• Place: Huxley-Dobson confluence (junction)
  
• Route: Huxley-Dobson confluence to Forks Hut
  
• Place: Forks Hut

Note that since DOC huts all already exist in the site, you shouldn’t need to create those, though you can edit the descriptions and correct any errors in locations if you want.

Seems unnecessary complicated?

 

Now, imagine another user comes along and wants to write up the route from the roadend to Elcho Hut  The route from the roadend to the Huxley/Dobson confluence is already in the system, so they don’t need to add that again (though they can edit it to clarify or correct anything if they want). So the 2^nd user just adds:

• Route: Huxley-Dobson confluence to Elcho Hut
  
• Place: Elcho Hut
  

 

Now that that’s done, any user searching either on this site or on a search engine, and be presented with end-to-end descriptions (built up from the segments you have entered) of all routes between all the places that :

• Huxley lodge roadend to Monument Hut
  
• Huxley lodge roadend to Forks Hut
  
• Huxley lodge roadend to Elcho Hut
  
• Monument Hut to Forks Hut
  
• Monument Hut to Elcho Hut
  
• Forks Hut to Elcho Hut

And, since we also support reverse route, the reverse of all the above too:

• Monument Hut to Huxley lodge roadend
  
• etc …
  

 

Trips 

So why do we have trips then?  Since all the information about my end-to-end journey is already stored as route segments?

A trip on this site does not contain any route-guide information.  It is merely a collection of route segments (that have already been created) to create and end-to-end trip.  A trip has a description - but this is for information such as the duration, best season / weather, type of person it's suitable for, highlights, etc.  

Current Trip

As a logged in user you have already got a 'current trip'.  Go to 'Me -> Current Trip' to see it.  Or in Browse -> Trips you'll see it highlighted there in green.  You can edit the name, duration and description by viewing the trip and clicking the edit button. If you click the 'published' check box before saving then the trip will be visible to all other users.

To select a different trip from those you've already created, click the tick next to one of your trips in 'Me -> Wishlish'.

To take a copy of someone else's trip and edit it, click the 'Make a copy' icon when viewing their trip - this will make a duplicate copy (and make it your current trip).

Or you can create a new blank trip (and make it your 'Current Trip') by going to 'Add -> Trip'.

Adding stuff to a trip

View the first place or route that you want in your trip by using the map, find or browse features on the site.  Then simply click the 'Add to trip' button.  The place / route will be added to your current trip.  Repeat this process untill all places and routes you want are on your trip.

When you have then all added, you can view your trip under 'Me -> Current Trip'.  

By clicking the edit icon you can then ro-order items withing the trip (click the cut, then the insert icon), delete items (click the cut, then trash icons) and update the description, etc.  Once happy with the trip, you can check the 'published;' checkbox to allow anyone to view it.