Inspiration
As an avid hiker based in Colorado, I grew frustrated with disjointed ways to find reliable hiking groups—either too clunky or paywalled. I wanted something simple: a free tool for hikers across Denver, London, Munich, and beyond to connect safely, no hoops to jump through.
What it does
Hiking Group Finder is a no-login web app for North American & European hikers. It surfaces local hiking groups, matches you with skill-aligned partners, shows detailed GPS trail routes, and guides safety prep with a interactive checklist.
How we built it
I started with wireframing in Figma to map core pages (Home, Buddy Match, GPS Routes, Safety Checklist). Built the frontend with React/Bootstrap for responsiveness, integrated Leaflet for GPS map rendering, and coded filter/matching logic in JavaScript to prioritize skill & availability.
Challenges we ran into
Balancing real-time filter refreshes with smooth performance was tough—initial versions lagged when applying multiple filters. Also, ensuring consistent difficulty color coding (green/yellow/red) across all pages required strict UI component standardization.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Creating a fully responsive app that works seamlessly on desktop/mobile, delivering 20+ local group results and 15+ detailed trail routes instantly. The safety checklist has become a go-to pre-hike tool for my own hiking circle!
What we learned
I mastered Leaflet’s GPS mapping capabilities and refined user-centric filter logic—plus, I gained a deeper understanding of outdoor safety protocols to make the checklist truly actionable for hikers of all skill levels.
What's next for this project
I want to add weather integration for trail-specific forecasts, expand trail data to more European cities (Paris, Barcelona), and test a lightweight in-app chat for confirmed hiking groups (keeping it free, of course).
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