Where are you going to hike next year? I created a hut-to-hut trekking inspiration and planning tool because it can be easier (Trailhuts)
Hello everyone!
I hope this is ok by the way to post, because I think it will help you all, if not, let me know.
Since the first time I did a hut-to-hut trekking I had this idea that the inspiration phase and booking phase should be easier. 30 tabs open, reading on blogs where to sleep / where to go. Going on Google Maps, looking for the location where the stage would stop and then trying to find a place to sleep around that point. Most huts and guesthouses aren't on the big booking sites, so you end up on five different channels. In one hike I had contact on Facebook, WhatsApp, messaging and email. And then hoping you have some reception to see if your booking was confirmed or not. I think you'll recognize this.
Second thing: the place everyone knows is fully booked months ahead, because one blog recommended it and everyone read that blog. Meanwhile there's often a guesthouse or hut just a bit further along the stage that nobody writes about, with beds free. You just never find out about it.
Third thing: I needed some more inspiration. I was constantly drawn to the famous hikes (like all of social media these days, Dolomites...), while I noticed there are so many more official trails, in countries that are promoting hiking, like the relatively new Via Transilvanica in Romania.
All in all, I started building the inspiration part, and trying to make my life easier with some overview while booking. That became Trailhuts (trailhuts.com). So that's where we are now.
I used OpenStreetMap and Google Maps data to match accommodations along the trails. So far it helped me a lot before and during my hikes this summer, and I think it could help you too, now at the end of the season, so you can start planning for next year!
For now I mapped around 100 trails in Europe, planning to have more, but it takes some time to get everything right. Let me know if you want a trail that's missing right now, and I will probably add it soon!
What do you think of it? Will it help you? What is your honest feedback? Please also get in contact if you have more ideas of what you would need to have an even better overview.
So take look here: https://www.trailhuts.com/
Many thanks!
(This is a huge thing for me, working on this for more than a year, I'm afraid and excited to release my baby to the world wide web 🥹)