The Yellow X - A Wise Pilgrim Camino Utility

IMPORTANT NOTICE

This app is experimental and not guaranteed to provide a correct answer with 100% effectiveness. Please read the following to understand how the app works, how it may fail, and what can be learned from both situations. As always, there is no substitute for your own intuition and for trusting the information presented to you by way of signage.

WHY IT EXISTS

I created this app as a side project to the other camino apps that I maintain. As a frequent walker of the camino (6 months out of the year) I became fascinated while hearing so many stories of pilgrims getting lost. In places that seem to me quite well marked, otherwise observant pilgrims went astray. And at the same time I have found myself walking down the actual camino while wondering where the arrows have disappeared to.

Although this is only an experimental app, I hope that with enough casual users it will collect enough "points of confustion" to paint a picture of what sections of the camino can be improved upon.

HOW IT WORKS

This app works by calculating the distance from your current position to all of the currently known points on the camino. The Yellow Arrow is displayed if that distance is within 50m and the Yellow X will display when you are greater than 50m. This beta version contains just one singular route and future route variations will be added in upcoming updates.

HOW IT MIGHT FAIL

The camino trail is not a singular track, but rather a primary route with dozens of variants that detour from it. Every effort has been made to ensure that the points collected and used for comparisons are accurate. At the moment the app has a record of 52,000 points that cover the more common sections of the Camino Francés. However the Camino changes frequently due to real world situations; temporary construction, permanent re-routing for major road works, or a rogue arrow painted by a shop owner all conspire to make this app less than 100% reliable.

RESULTS - YOU ARE ON THE CAMINO

If you app tells you that you are on the camino, continue on course and keep an eye out for the next camino sign. Use the app again after a few minutes of walking to re-check.

There may be False Positives:

1. You may be on a part of the camino that WAS part of a camino but no longer is.
2. You may be on a parallel track that is within 50m of the actual Camino.

RESULTS - YOU ARE NOT ON THE CAMINO

If the app tells you that you are not on the camino, do not attempt to find a shortcut to where you believe the camino to be. Rather retrace your steps until you get back to the camino.

There may be False Negatives:

1. You may be on a newly created section of the camino that is currently unknown to the app.
2. You might be on the camino but located between two known points. This is not too likely but theoretically could happen.

HOW IT SHOULD BE USED

This app should be used only as a check. If you find yourself in a position where you are questioning whether you are on the camino your first course of action should be to get to a safe place. DO NOT use it while standing on the side of a busy road for example. This app should be used to catalog sections of the camino that for one reason or another are confusing to you. It will catalog all locations that are within 2km of the camino. These locations can be submitted via email from within the app and you are encouraged to do so. All points collected will be used to improve signage in these locations.

NOTICE FOR IPOD AND WIFI ONLY IPAD USERS
This app requires an accurate GPS position that is not obtainable with your device.