How to use route diagnostics

Route diagnostics are the fastest way to identify route-wide problems and decide what to inspect next.

This view combines a route summary card with terrain, demand, and fatigue charts.

The main question this section answers is:

Which route sections deserve a closer look, and what type of problem do they show?

What route diagnostics are for

Use route diagnostics when you want to:

• get a whole-route snapshot before drilling into day-by-day details
• understand whether the route is being driven mostly by grade, altitude, load, time, energy, or accumulated fatigue
• spot where demand spikes along the route
• compare one route version against another

Use this rule:

• use route diagnostics to decide where to look next
• then use day-level outputs to decide what to change

Step 1: Start with Route Snapshot

Open the Route tab first.

If you want the full route-diagnostics stack shown in this article, switch to Pro view before you continue.

Then begin with the Route Snapshot card.

It is the fastest whole-route summary in the planner.

The card has three main parts:

• Basics
• Energy & Weight
• TRIPSignals

Basics

Use the Basics block to answer:

• how long is the route?
• how many days does this itinerary currently span?
• how much total hiking time is required?
• how much climbing and descending is involved?
• how high does the route go?

Use this block first to confirm that the route length, day count, time, and elevation are in the expected range.

Energy & Weight

Use Energy & Weight to see:

• pack start and end weight
• base required calories
• activity required calories
• total required calories
• planned calories
• surplus or deficit
• expected body fat loss

Use this block when the route cost may be driven by load or intake, not only by terrain.

TRIPSignals

The TRIPSignals section summarizes route-level strain from several different angles.

Use this section as a comparison tool, not as a single pass/fail score.

The route-level signals help you compare:

• terrain difficulty
• overall load and pressure
• time and energy pressure
• whether the route gets harder later
• where fatigue and risk concentrate

Use the snapshot card first to decide what kind of problem you are looking at:

• a terrain problem
• a capacity problem
• a fuel/deficit problem
• or a fatigue concentration problem

Step 2: Read Grade Diagnostics next

After the Route Snapshot, move to Grade Diagnostics.

This section shows how route distance is distributed across slope steepness.

Use the histogram to ask:

• is the route mostly mellow or mostly steep?
• is the grade mix balanced or does it have a strong uphill/downhill skew?
• how much of the route lives in the steeper tails?

If you open DIAGNOSTICS below the histogram, the planner shows deeper comparison details. Use those after the main histogram, not before it.

Step 3: Use Elevation vs distance for terrain shape and altitude context

The Elevation (ft) vs distance (mi) chart shows how the route climbs and descends over distance.

Use it to ask:

• where are the major climbs and descents?
• where are the highest sections of the route?
• are long high-elevation stretches present?

Use this chart when:

• the max elevation is high enough to raise acclimatization concerns
• the route has a few major climbs that dominate route cost

Step 4: Use Grade vs distance to find where the steepest terrain sits

The Grade (%) vs distance (mi) chart tells you where steep terrain appears along the route.

Use it to ask:

• where do the steepest uphill segments occur?
• where do the steepest downhill segments occur?
• are those steep segments clustered early, mid-route, or late?

This chart is often more actionable than the histogram because it shows where the steepness lives, not just how much of it exists.

Step 5: Use MDR vs distance to find the hardest terrain

The MDR vs distance (mi) chart shows where terrain appears to require the hardest effort.

Use it to ask:

• where does terrain demand rise the most?
• are the hardest parts short spikes or longer sustained stretches?
• do the peaks line up with the places you would expect from the elevation and grade charts?

If the grade chart does not fully explain the route cost, check MDR next.

Step 6: Use Energy cost vs distance to see where movement gets expensive

The Energy cost (kcal/mi) vs distance (mi) chart shows how expensive the route is per unit distance.

Use it to ask:

• where is each mile unusually expensive?
• do the expensive segments align with MDR peaks?
• is the route carrying a lot of hidden energy cost even when speed is not obviously collapsing?

Use this chart when two route versions have similar distance but different cost.

Step 7: Use Speed vs distance to see where pace naturally drops

The Speed (mph) vs distance (mi) chart shows predicted hiking speed along the route.

Use it to ask:

• where do the slowest sections occur?
• are the slowdowns brief or sustained?
• do those slow sections line up with steepness, MDR, or energy-cost spikes?

This is a direct way to see where route geometry affects pace.

Step 8: Use cumFI vs distance to understand accumulated burden

The Cumulative fatigue index (cumFI) vs distance (mi) chart shows how accumulated workload builds through the route.

Use it to ask:

• how much burden has accumulated by each point in the route?
• where do camp boundaries reduce carryover burden?
• is a hard late segment landing on top of already-high accumulated fatigue?

This chart is especially important on multi-day routes because later problems can be accumulation-driven.

Step 9: Use Fatigue impact vs distance to find where the route load peaks

The Fatigue impact vs distance (mi) chart is the final route-level chart to check.

Use it to ask:

• where are the biggest impact spikes?
• are those spikes caused by hard terrain now, accumulated fatigue, or both?
• do those peaks line up with route sections you may want to split differently or protect with more margin?

Use this chart to identify sections that may require a different split or more margin.

Recommended reading order

Use this sequence:

1. Read the Route Snapshot.
2. Review Grade Diagnostics.
3. Check Elevation vs distance.
4. Check Grade vs distance.
5. Review MDR vs distance.
6. Review Energy cost vs distance.
7. Review Speed vs distance.
8. Review cumFI vs distance.
9. Finish with Fatigue impact vs distance.

That order moves from route summary to terrain shape to route cost to accumulated burden.

What route diagnostics are best at

Route diagnostics are strongest when you use them to:

• compare route versions
• identify where difficulty is concentrated
• decide whether a route-wide problem is mostly terrain, capacity, or fatigue related
• decide which section or which day deserves closer attention

They are less effective when you expect them to tell you exactly what change to make without also checking day-level outputs.

Common mistakes to avoid

Watch out for these:

• staring at one metric in isolation instead of cross-checking snapshot, terrain, and fatigue views
• treating route-level signals as exact predictions instead of comparison signals
• using route diagnostics alone when the real fix requires campsite or day-structure changes
• assuming a route is easy because distance is modest even when MDR, energy cost, or fatigue impact says otherwise

What to do next

After reading route diagnostics, continue with:

• Understand route and day outputs
• Split a route into days
• Compare plan versions instead of chasing precision