Popular Cape Town hiking app Forge is celebrating their first app-iversary with the release of new regions and new reserves in its latest update.
The free mobile hiking app (available on Google Play and Apple App Store), which hosts digital trail maps, has expanded its network beyond just the Cape Peninsula and the Table Mountain National Park to reserves in the Cape Winelands as well as the Overberg.
The latest update includes over 2 200 km of trails across 12 new reserves, parks and botanical gardens in three regions, including Jonkershoek Nature Reserve in Stellenbosch and Kogelberg Nature Reserve.
Along with the latest trail additions, the recent update has also improved the user-friendly interface and added a new filter feature that makes it easier for hikers to find their path and explore. Maps are also accompanied by information on permits, related hiking fees, facility information and contact details.
Informed by avid users, the app’s latest updates take all concerns into consideration, while aiming to improve user experience.
“One of our core focuses has always been safety, which is why we’ve included area-relevant emergency contacts. Furthermore, emergency calls can now be made directly from the app,” says Michael Halley, Founder of Forge. “Each new region is accompanied by an offline map to ensure that our users can still navigate even in areas where there is no network and also reduce battery-usage.”
Forge aims to offer an improved version of a simple tool, which they hope will make outdoor enthusiasts eager to get back into the mountains and go places they may never have been before but at the same time allow them to feel comfortable, confident and safe to do so.
For more information visit www.forgesa.com and stay up-to-date by following Forge on Instagram: @forge_sa.
Also Read: Cape Town’s got a new mobile hiking app
Picture: Supplied