OBSERVER: How EU Space data can help you prepare for your next mountain adventure
OBSERVER: How EU Space data can help you prepare for your next mountain adventure
evan
Sat, 03/05/2025 – 09:19
Spring is well underway in Europe, making it the perfect time to prepare for an outdoor adventure! Whether you’re gearing up for a hike or a weekend of camping in the mountains, EU Space data and services can help you plan ahead and stay safe.
In this week’s Observer, we explore four ways the EU Space Programme can help you prepare.
Mapping sources of drinking water
It is a common and widely known rule that whenever you go for a hike, you should always bring drinking water with you. However, when a trip lasts for days, hikers should plan their journey with the availability of water sources along the trail in mind, as carrying enough water for several days is impractical. To do this, you should check detailed maps of the trails you will be hiking in advance. To go a step further, you can access the most recent Sentinel imagery and look for streams or snow patches to melt for drinking water.
A quick and easy way to do these things is by using the Copernicus Browser on the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem (CDSE). CDSE provides immediate access to large amounts of open and free Earth Observation (EO) data from the Copernicus Sentinel satellites, including both new and historical Sentinel images. The Copernicus Browser is an easy-to-use tool that lets users explore and engage with satellite imagery. If you are preparing for a hike right now around Europe, you can look at variables such as snow cover, water bodies, and dryness levels. This will help you find water sources along your route.
Checking if your route has been affected by a natural disaster
Natural landscapes can change quickly and without warning. Therefore, before setting off, it is important to check the news for recent events that could impact your route, such as storms, landslides, and even construction work. However, you can go beyond the news and use the Copernicus Browser to find more detailed information.
The browser allows you to generate timelapses and compare before-and-after visualisations of events such as landslides or wildfires. This allows you to get a clear view of the trail you are planning to take, determine if it is still accessible, and plan accordingly.
A great example of this was shared during a webinar hosted by CDSE’s András Zlinszky. Zlinszky showed a video of a landslide that occurred in the summer of 2023 in Märenspitz, Switzerland. Using the Copernicus Browser, he was able to visualise the aftermath of the landslide from above and understand how it had impacted a hiking trail in the area.
Planning the best climbing route
We have seen that it is important to check for safety conditions regarding the integrity of a hiking trail. However, it is equally important to ensure you know the topography of a mountain thoroughly if you are planning to spend several hours climbing it.
If you venture into a remote area, one of the first things you should do is study the trails in the area and map out a route that you can follow using a Galileo-enabled device, such as a smartphone. By the end of his webinar, Zlinszky explained how you can map out a route with the Copernicus Browser and incorporate both EO and navigational satellite data into trekking apps on your phone.
Additionally, you can use high-resolution maps and satellite imagery to examine every groove and ledge on a mountain, ensuring you plan the safest route possible. In a second webinar on this subject, hosted by Michael Engel from the University of Munich, a story illustrating just this was shared. One day, while planning a hike around the Watzmann, a mountainous area in the Berchtesgaden Alps, Germany, Engel mistakenly thought he had identified a walkable groove in the landscape. However, during the hike, he discovered that groove was actually a cliff, dangerously covered in slippery snow. Because of this, he could not complete the hike or return safely. Engel had to call for helicopter rescue. He explained that he had not known about the option to use recent satellite imagery, but added that if he had, he might have identified the cliff more accurately and avoided the risky situation entirely.
Ensuring you can call for help in an emergency
When venturing into nature, you should always carry a device that will allow you to call for help if needed. Smartphones are usually sufficient and can be used to call for help even when there is no signal since emergency calls are permitted on any network. However, in remote or hazardous areas, a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB)—also known as a 406 MHz emergency beacon—is a more reliable option. It can send a distress signal directly to search and rescue (SAR) authorities within minutes.
Galileo-enabled PLBs provide improved satellite-based location accuracy and faster detection times compared to those relying solely on other Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). PLBs that feature the Galileo Return Link Service are especially useful. Declared fully operational in 2021, this unique service allows people in distress to receive an automatic confirmation that their signal has been received, and their location is known.
Fri, 02/05/2025 – 12:00
