Having a map is great. 

Having a map with your route drawn on it’s even better.

 

Below is a link to a KML (Keyhole Markup Language, in case you had to know) file that has routes for more than 70 of the most popular climbing routes in the Pacific Northwest.

The image at the top of this page is a screen grab of various routes on Mt. Hood from this file.

The file is hosted on a shared Google Drive. It’s called “Whole_Enchilada.kml”

Here’s how to use in Google Earth:

  1. Click the button below.

  2. You should see a map of the Pacific NW, with various colored lines on it.

  3. Click the “Download” icon in the top right corner to save the KML file to your hard drive.

  4. Double click the downloaded KML file to open in Google Earth. (You already need to have Google Earth on your computer for this to work. If you don't have it, download it, you’ll love it.)

  5. See all the routes in full Google Earth majesty, and enjoy your 3-D zoom and pan, fly-around super powers.

It's more than eye candy.

  • Scope the route at home to get familiar with it.

  • Print out screen grabs to take along with you.

  • Save screen grabs on your phone for reference when you’re climbing.

Check this Tip to learn some Google Earth screen grab tricks.