Filipino-built platform turns PH hiking trails into a digital scorecard

SummitStack PH tracks climbs, rewards milestones, and ranks hikers.

Hikers now have a way to track, record, and share their adventures through a new web platform.

It’s called SummitStack PH, and it allows users to tick off the mountain trails they have completed and indicate repeat ascents. Built by software engineer Dennis San Jose, the platform was shared with fellow hiking enthusiasts through the Facebook group App Builders PH.

The app comes as hiking and mountain tourism continue to gain attention in the Philippines, with the Department of Tourism promoting mountain destinations and local communities developing trails as part of ecotourism efforts.

The application then calculates a hiker’s experience based on a trail’s difficulty and the number of times it has been climbed. With 12 tiers, hikers can rank from “Pabebe sa Alapaap” to “Legend of the Mountain.”

SummitStack PH also awards badges to hikers who log their experiences. Currently, there are 37 collectible badges for achievements such as “Roof of the Philippines,” given for reaching the summit of Mt. Apo, the country’s highest peak, and “Major Mountain Achiever,” for completing a climb rated difficulty level 7 or higher.

For hikers who want to keep a record of their climbs, the app can turn their achievements into a summary report card that can be shared online.

Those who choose to sign up can save their completed climbs and earned badges, while the web app also features a leaderboard ranking the top 100 hikers based on their published experience.

The platform also gives hikers a centralized way to document the trails they have completed and compare their experience with others in the hiking community. This could become more useful as more destinations are promoted and developed for mountain tourism.

Through the website, SummitStack PH can also be installed on mobile devices, making it easier for users to access their records while on the go.

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