The grade you walk, not the grade it has.
You will take a T5. The friend you walk with stops at T3. Tell the engine which of you is planning, and the route is different — not the same line with a warning on it.
This is the engine where difficulty is a real setting. SAC grade decides which paths are eligible at all, so choosing it does not filter a list afterwards — it changes the route that gets drawn.
The rest is elevation. Distance means little on a mountain path; the ascent, its distribution and the gradient of the steep third are what tell you whether the day fits in the hours of daylight you have.
Presets on this engine
- Hike Standard mountain hiking: trails up to T3.
- Easy Only easy, well-trodden trails (T1).
- Alpine Accepts demanding, alpine terrain (up to T5).
- Scenic Prefers forests and rivers, bypassing towns.
Read from the router itself — this is the list the planner shows you.
And the switches
Worth checking before you leave
- The SAC grade, first — it is the setting that changes the line, not a label.
- Total ascent against the time you actually have.
- Whether the steepest section is on the way up or on tired legs coming down.
Questions about this sport
Can I choose the difficulty of the paths?
Yes. SAC difficulty is a routing setting on this engine: raise it and harder paths become eligible, lower it and the route is drawn around them.
Does it give a walking time?
It estimates time from distance and elevation, and the advanced settings let you tune the assumptions. Treat it as a planning figure, not a promise.