Getting started
Three ways to create an account
Create an account with email and password, Continue with Google, or Continue with Apple. Email accounts use a password stored only as a salted hash. Google and Apple sign-in do not require an Epicrest password, though you can add one later from Profile.
Choose your plan
Free supports account creation, core peak discovery, AR labels, summit logging, iCloud Sync, no ads, and 10-mile offline packs. Pro adds larger offline packs, topographic maps, route and weather context, journal photos, exports, and richer planning tools. Pro is optional and funds Epicrest without advertising. The launch flow can show annual and monthly trial options through Apple StoreKit.
Grant location access
Use While Using the App location permission to show nearby peaks, display altitude, center the map, and align AR labels. If you deny location, search and manual map exploration still work with reduced automation.
Sign in on a new device
Install Epicrest and sign in using the same method you originally used. Restore purchases from the plan-selection screen if an existing Apple subscription is not recognized. iCloud Sync can move journal entries and attached photos privately between Apple devices when enabled.
If your email is already on Epicrest
If a Google or Apple sign-in uses the same email as an existing password account, Epicrest can offer to merge identities after verifying the existing Epicrest password. Existing subscriptions, logs, and preferences are preserved.
Navigate the app
Home is the hub for AR View, Map View, Search Any Peak, Near Me, Journal, Bucket List, Offline, and Profile. Use the standard iOS back chevron or swipe from the left edge to move back.
Home dashboard
The altitude readout
Home shows current elevation when location and sensor data are available. Units follow Profile settings and apply across the app.
Primary and secondary tiles
Primary tiles jump to AR View, Map View, Search, Near Me, Journal, Bucket List, Offline, and Profile. The screen is meant to work as a compact command center in the field.
Search Any Peak
Global search is best when planning outside your current region. Near Me is faster when Epicrest should rank peaks around your current position.
Profile and offline indicators
The profile pill leads to account, subscription, settings, legal, manual, support, and sync tools. Offline indicators show when the app is using prepared local data instead of live network responses.
Peak search
Open global search from Home
Use Search Any Peak to find a summit anywhere by name. Partial names are enough; exact full names are not required.
Choose the correct result
Compare name, region, elevation, and distance when multiple peaks share a similar name. Open the result to see details before logging or saving.
Open details, then log or save
From detail you can inspect elevation, distance, available trails or roads, weather, directions, journal status, and Bucket List state.
How search behaves offline
Offline search depends on the baseline peak cache and any downloaded packs. If a region is not available locally, reconnect and refresh or download the appropriate pack.
Near Me
Switching list and map
Use list mode for dense comparison and map mode for spatial context. Narrow the radius for a day trip and widen it for weekend planning or driving.
Searching the list
Filter the nearby set by peak name while keeping the current radius and location context.
Peak detail sheet
The sheet surfaces elevation, distance, prominence where available, trails, roads, weather, directions, journal actions, and Bucket List actions.
Weather freshness
Weather is a forecast snapshot and can become stale. Refresh before relying on it for planning, and always check authoritative weather sources for safety-critical decisions.
Logging and directions
You can log a summit from a nearby peak and optionally associate an available route. Directions open in supported map apps where possible.
Getting There data
Epicrest loads route and road context lazily when online, and from downloaded packs when offline. Route timestamps help the app refresh stale local data when the backend has newer information.
Where peak data comes from
Peak, trail, and road data primarily comes from public geographic sources such as OpenStreetMap and may be incomplete, sparse, or out of date. Verify access, closures, and conditions before travel.
Map View
Panning and zooming
Move the map to explore peaks around your current area or any region you pan to. The app loads visible context as you move.
Recentre on yourself
Use recentre when location permission is enabled and you want the map to return to your current position.
What is loaded
The map may show cached peaks, live backend results, downloaded pack data, trail and road records, and route availability indicators depending on network state and pack coverage.
Map colors and badges
Badges indicate useful states such as visited peaks, Bucket List peaks, difficulty, route type, and offline availability.
Switching map layers
Layer controls let you switch map presentation for planning. Topographic attribution appears when the topo layer is active.
AR View
What AR View does
AR View uses camera, location, heading, elevation, terrain context, and peak data to label peaks on the horizon. Hold the phone roughly level and sweep slowly so the compass can settle.
Reading peak labels
Labels can show the peak name, elevation, distance, bearing, confidence, and state. Visited and Bucket List peaks are highlighted so your history and plans remain visible in the camera.
AR confidence levels
Confidence uses sensor quality, distance, bearing, elevation agreement, terrain visibility, prominence, and skyline evidence when available. Confidence can change as you move or as the phone steadies.
Explain this match
The explanation view breaks down why Epicrest believes a label matches a visible peak, including bearing, elevation, visibility, prominence, and sensor evidence where available.
Showing possible peaks
Possible peaks can be shown when you want a broader readout. Hide them again if the view gets too crowded or use List for a sensor-independent comparison.
Label density and decluttering
Epicrest gives labels room by prioritizing stronger matches and reducing crowding. Use list mode when labels overlap or conditions make camera alignment unreliable.
Accuracy signals and calibration
Compass quality, sensor drift, nearby metal, indoor use, canyons, cliffs, and close terrain can affect label alignment. Move away from interference and recalibrate against a clean, distant skyline when possible.
AR guide overlay and fine-tuning
The guide overlay explains how to hold and sweep the device. Fine-tuning can help align labels when the skyline is clean and sensor data is stable.
Accuracy expectations
AR is a recognition aid, not a safety-critical navigation instrument. Weather, terrain, sensors, and source data can all be wrong.
Requesting AR changes and logging
If labels are consistently off, use feedback from the app or support form with the peak, location context, and device details. You can log a summit from AR when the correct peak is selected.
Journal
How many logs can I keep?
Epicrest is designed for unlimited summit logging on every tier. Server-side sync stores summit-log data such as peak, trail, date, notes, and tags. Journal photos stay on device and, when iCloud Sync is enabled, in your private iCloud container.
Creating an entry
Log a peak, optional route, date, notes, tags, elevation gain where available, and photos. Tags work best when short and consistent.
Browsing and sorting
Browse your history by date, peak name, elevation, or other available stats. Use search and sorting to find older climbs quickly.
Stats at the top
Journal stats summarize your summit history, giving quick context before you drill into individual entries.
Editing and deleting
Edit a log when route, notes, tags, or date need cleanup. Delete only when you intend to remove that journal record.
Sync states explained
Sync badges distinguish local-only, pending, synced, and iCloud-related states. Photos remain device/iCloud data rather than backend uploads.
Bucket List
What Bucket List is for
Bucket List tracks peaks you want to climb later and keeps planning close to search, map context, and journal history.
Adding a peak
Add a peak from detail screens. If it is already saved, the button changes state so duplicates are not created by accident.
Priorities, sorting, and filters
Use priority and sorting to separate near-term objectives from long-term goals.
Plan details you can store
Store target dates, notes, route thoughts, and priority. Use detail screens to compare access, difficulty, and conditions as the trip gets closer.
Mark as visited
After a climb, promote the peak into Journal so the plan becomes part of your permanent summit record.
Offline Packs
Offline peak data is already there
Epicrest includes baseline peak data so Near Me and Map remain useful without a downloaded pack. Packs are still the right tool for route, road, weather snapshot, and regional planning depth.
What is in a pack
Packs can include peaks, route and road context, metadata, cached support data, and map tile configuration. Online, Epicrest keeps using live maps where available.
Offline readiness
Use readiness status before travel. Confirm the region, download state, and freshness before leaving service.
Downloading a pack
Choose a region or radius that covers the trip. Pack size grows quickly with radius because area grows with the square of the radius.
Background downloads
Large downloads are more reliable on Wi-Fi and power. Avoid force-quitting Epicrest because iOS treats that as a signal not to relaunch the app for background work.
Pause, resume, and cancel
Downloads can be paused, resumed, or cancelled depending on state. Reconnect and resume if the network drops.
Offline weather is a snapshot
Weather stored in a pack is a snapshot. Refresh or re-download near departure so the forecast reflects the current trip window.
Refreshing and deleting
Refresh packs to update stale data and delete packs when you need storage back. Deleting a pack removes local offline data, not your journal.
Profile and Settings
The Profile screen at a glance
Profile contains account details, subscription state, stats, settings, exports, support, privacy, terms, roadmap, and the manual.
Units and notifications
Choose metric or imperial units for elevation and distance. Manage notification preferences from the app and iOS Settings.
iCloud sync
Enable iCloud Sync to move journal entries and photos between your Apple devices using your private iCloud container.
Offline Packs link
Profile links into Offline Packs so you can prepare or refresh data before a trip.
Refresh Peak Data
Manual peak refresh is free for everyone and keeps baseline peak data accurate. Weekly automatic refresh runs only under safe conditions such as Wi-Fi and external power.
Support and feedback
Use in-app feedback or the website support form for support messages, feature requests, issue reports, and data corrections.
Sign out
Sign out when changing accounts or securing a device. Some local data may remain until removed by app flows or device cleanup.
Free vs Pro
Feature comparison
Epicrest Free includes account creation, sign in, password reset, account deletion, no ads, peak search, core peak pages, nearby peaks, standard maps, core AR labels, unlimited summit logs, journal notes and tags, Bucket List, 10-mile offline packs, iCloud Sync where available, privacy documents, terms, EULA, User Manual, Contact Us, Request a Feature, and Report an Issue. Epicrest Pro adds deeper peak context, summit insights, topographic maps, larger 150-mile offline packs, offline topographic tiles, full trail and road specs, summit weather, journal photo attachments, richer stats, PDF and GPX export, and support for keeping Epicrest ad-free.
Apple permissions and platform features
Epicrest Pro does not sell access to Apple platform capabilities. Camera access, location permission, notifications, device sensors, and iCloud Sync are controlled by iOS and by the feature you choose to use.
Why Pro exists
Epicrest does not use advertising as its business model. Pro subscriptions help pay for mountain data, route and road enrichment, map work, weather integration, backend services, support, and continued development.
Epicrest Pro
What is in Pro
Pro is designed for heavier outdoor planning: 150-mile offline packs, topographic maps, offline route and road context, weather snapshots, journal photos, advanced stats, exports, and premium planning tools. It also supports ongoing data, map, backend, and development work so Epicrest can stay ad-free.
What stays free
Epicrest does not sell access to Apple platform capabilities. Camera access, location permission, notifications, device sensors, and iCloud Sync are controlled by iOS and remain available based on the feature you choose to use. Free users keep unlimited logs, core peak info, AR labels, search, manual map browsing, iCloud Sync, 10-mile offline packs, and no ads.
The 7-day free trial
The trial is managed by Apple and can be used at most once per Apple ID. If already used, the upgrade sheet shows a standard subscription action.
Subscribing
Subscriptions are confirmed through Apple's purchase sheet. Apple shows the price and renewal terms before confirmation.
Restoring purchases
Use Restore Purchases when reinstalling, switching devices, or when an active Apple subscription is not reflected in Epicrest.
Managing or cancelling
Manage or cancel subscriptions in iOS Settings under your Apple ID subscriptions. Refunds are handled by Apple.
Passwords and Sign-In
Change your password
Signed-in users can change password from Profile. Password changes revoke active sessions so other devices must sign in again.
Forgot your password
Use the login screen reset flow. The reset link opens Epicrest through Universal Links when installed and falls back to a web page when needed.
Use a reset token manually
If automatic handoff fails, the reset fallback page can expose the token workflow so you can finish inside the app.
If Epicrest asks you to change your password
An admin reset or security event may require password change before normal use resumes.
Link Google or Apple
Linking an identity requires proof you control the Epicrest account. After linking, either sign-in method reaches the same account.
Check and disconnect sign-in methods
Profile shows which sign-in methods are attached. You can disconnect Google or Apple Sign-In from the app as long as another sign-in method remains available; if needed, set a password first.
iCloud Sync
What iCloud sync covers
iCloud Sync covers journal entries and photos across your Apple devices. Offline packs are device-local and must be downloaded again on a new device.
Turning iCloud sync on
Enable iCloud Sync from Profile when signed into iCloud. The app may need time for the first sync to settle.
Understanding the iCloud badge
Badges indicate whether journal content is local, syncing, synced, or waiting on iCloud conditions.
Verify sync is happening
Create or edit a small journal entry, wait for sync, then check the second device. iCloud app data is managed from iOS Settings rather than through ordinary iCloud Drive folders.
Restoring on a new device
Install Epicrest, sign into the same account and Apple ID, enable iCloud Sync, and allow time for entries and photos to appear. Re-download offline packs separately.
Who can see your iCloud data
Your synced journal photos live in your private iCloud container. Epicrest backend systems do not store those photos.
Turning sync off
When sync is off, future changes stay local to that device. Already synced data remains in iCloud unless removed through Apple settings or app flows.
When something is not syncing
Check iCloud sign-in, network, storage, Low Power Mode, and whether Epicrest is allowed to use iCloud.
Security and Privacy
Biometric app lock
Enable Face ID or Touch ID lock to protect the app when the device is handed around or brought back from background. Device passcode fallback appears after repeated biometric failures.
Sensitive-action re-auth
Epicrest can require fresh authentication for sensitive actions such as password changes, account deletion, and other account-security operations.
What we collect
Epicrest stores account information, subscription receipt status, summit-log data, support requests, diagnostics you submit, and short-lived request logs. The app does not store journal photos on the backend, does not run ads, and does not track you across other apps.
Deleting your account
Account deletion removes server-side account records and metadata. Device-local data is removed by deleting the app, and iCloud-synced content remains in your iCloud until you remove it from iCloud settings.
Troubleshooting
Peaks are not appearing yet
Check location permission, network state, radius, and whether the region is available offline. Try widening the radius or panning the map to trigger a new area load.
AR labels are misaligned
Move away from magnetic interference, hold the phone level, sweep slowly, recalibrate heading, and try a cleaner skyline. Indoor and canyon environments are harder.
Offline download stopped
Reconnect to Wi-Fi, plug into power for large packs, avoid force-quitting Epicrest, and resume or restart the download.
Photo did not attach
Confirm photo permission, available device storage, and iCloud status if sync is enabled. Photos remain local/private iCloud data.
Subscription banners during trial
Use Restore Purchases and confirm the same Apple ID is signed into the App Store. Network delays can briefly postpone entitlement refresh.
Lost phone
Change your password to revoke sessions. Use Apple Find My for device lock or remote wipe if needed.
Reset did not arrive
Check spam, confirm the account email, and try again after a short wait. If the account uses Apple or Google sign-in, use that method instead.
Merge prompt appeared
The prompt means Epicrest found an existing account using the same verified email. Follow the password verification step to link identities safely.
Still stuck?
Use the support form with device model, iOS version, app version, what you tapped, and the peak or route involved.