Hong Kong trail runner’s app aims to prevent hiking emergencies before they happen
A veteran Hong Kong trail runner has launched an app which automatically sends distress signals if a hiker gets into difficulty.
Rainer Duespohl, who has explored the city's trails for more than 17 years and is on the board of the International Trail Running Association (ITRA), launched the WayMe app this week, hoping to add an extra layer of safety to the community.
WayMe, which uses real-time location monitoring to send out warnings to users' emergency contacts if something goes wrong, comes pre-loaded with Hong Kong's hiking and trail running routes.
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"There were two main drivers behind launching WayMe," Duespohl said. "One is that when you hike alone and something happens to you and you can't use your phone, maybe you're unconscious; how can technology help you?
"The second is, in Hong Kong, we often see news where hikers sadly get lost and die on the trails, so how can we help rescue teams find them quicker, or can we even prevent it?"
WayMe users can select their hiking route or trail or plot their own before setting off. Throughout their journey, the app uses real-time monitoring and geofencing to make sure they stay on track.
Geofencing uses GPS to create virtual boundaries in real time. If users stray beyond these set zones, the app triggers automatic alerts - acting like a digital safety net for trails.
"The main feature is to keep the individual on the trail and check their progress, with many checkpoints on the way," Duespohl said.
"We have virtual geofence checkpoints that you can set up every 250, 500, 1,000 or 2,000 metres. Your progress is recorded, and the app expects you to pass through in five minutes, for example.
"So, let's say I go off track or don't reach a checkpoint; I will get a yellow alert asking if I'm OK. If I don't respond or start getting back towards the path, in two minutes the warning gets escalated to red.
"With this email or text, we have GPS coordinates of your last known position, so the search party knows exactly where to start."
In January 2024, Hong Kong police launched HKSOS, an app that alerts emergency contacts and the 999 call centre if the user manually triggers its SOS button. WayMe's system activates automatically when hikers stray off route or miss checkpoints.
HKSOS users input their activity duration in the app, and if they exceed that time, it will automatically contact the 999 response centre.
The HKSOS app was designed for hiking, paragliding and canoeing and had around 120,000 downloads in its first year. It uses "Signal Radar" technology to detect the location of a distressed individual's phone, whether it has a signal or not.
In 2024, 19 hikers died on Hong Kong's trails, a decrease from 27 in 2022 and 20 in 2023.
While WayMe requires a phone signal to alert emergency contacts directly, it stores the user's last known coordinates, giving rescue teams a critical starting point if a message was sent.
However, Duespohl said that the introduction of his app was an opportunity to share technology rather than rival those already out there.
"I never think in terms of competition; all the other apps have done brilliantly in their own way," he said. "But, they might pick up our technology, or I want to talk to their IT provider. Why should we compete with each other?
"I would first of all like to understand what their recipe is and how they have already helped their cases."
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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.
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