# rakkup — Climbing and Ski Guidebooks

> Offline climbing and backcountry skiing guidebooks with GPS trail navigation. (iPhone/iPad app by Outdoor Geeks, LLC.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rakkup/id519148082 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Outdoor Geeks, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/519148085)
- Category: Sports, Navigation
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 2.30/5 from 24 App Store ratings · 102 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 13.0 · 86 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2012-04-23
- Data updated: 2026-08-28
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rakkup/id519148082/reviews.md

## What is rakkup?

rakkup allows you to access an entire bookshelf of climbing and backcountry skiing guidebooks on your iPhone, even beyond the reach of cell phone coverage. Once downloaded, guidebooks work offline with no Internet connection! It is also the first and only mobile climbing app that navigates you through the trail system to your climb, turn by turn. Produced in partnership with Outdoor Research, rakkup reinvents the guidebook for the smartphone era.

We've partnered with Beacon Guidebooks, Wolverine Publishing ,and other publishers to bring you rich guidebooks complete with color photos and topo drawings. Free sample climbs and ski descents are included.

Browse climbs and descents on a map or in the list format of your choice, filter and search in seconds, then navigate using your phone's GPS with a single tap. In climbing guidebooks, the app continuously calculates the easiest route through the trail system from your current location. Simply follow the arrow and moving map.

Note: When actively navigating to a climb, rakkup uses GPS in background. Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

## Key features

- Offline guidebook access
- Turn-by-turn trail navigation
- GPS-enabled route finding
- Map and list browsing
- Search and filter capabilities
- Color photos and topo drawings

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Red Rocks Climbs by SuperTopo | $19.99 | one-time |
| Index Town Walls | $15.99 | one-time |
| Exit 38 Rock Climbs | $9.99 | one-time |
| Mt. Erie | $19.99 | one-time |
| Powerlinez | $11.99 | one-time |
| Reed's Creek | $4.99 | one-time |
| Potrero Chico | $19.99 | one-time |
| Long Branch and Guide Walls | $3.99 | one-time |
| Backcountry Skiing California's Eastern Sierra | $19.99 | one-time |
| Teton Pass Descents | $14.99 | one-time |
| Elizabeth Furnace | $2.99 | one-time |
| Staunton State Park Climbing | $9.99 | one-time |
| Silverton | $9.99 | one-time |
| Bridger Ridge | $9.99 | one-time |
| Snoqualmie Pass | $14.99 | one-time |
| Vermont Tough Schist | $19.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of rakkup?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- 🗺️ GPS navigation to crags and trails
- 📸 High-quality photos with route overlays
- 🔍 Powerful filtering and search capabilities
- 📱 Offline functionality without internet
- ✍️ Curated content from professional authors
- 🔄 Regular updates to guidebook content
- ⚡ Lightweight alternative to physical guidebooks
- 🎯 Georeferenced routes for easy location
- 📊 Interactive maps and terrain visualization
- 💰 Cheaper than physical guidebooks

**Cons**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing
- 🧭 Unintuitive and confusing navigation UI
- 🔋 Requires background location services
- 📉 Inconsistent guidebook quality by author
- ❌ Missing major climbing areas and routes
- 🔐 Login and account access issues
- ⚠️ Incomplete route information and descriptions
- 🎨 Cluttered interface with too many menus
- 📋 No gear beta or equipment information
- 🔄 Splash screen appears repeatedly
- 🚫 Crashes on specific routes
- 💳 Requires repurchase after account issues

**Commonly reported bugs**

- App crashes on login
- App freezes when opening routes
- Crashes every 30 seconds to few minutes
- Splash screen appears repeatedly despite cached data
- Collapse/expand toggles stop working
- Route selection auto-selects wrong area
- Maps fail to load without internet connectivity
- Bookshelf is buggy and inaccessible
- Password field incompatible with password managers
- Specific routes cause crashes (e.g., Sun Kissed)
- iOS 15 compatibility issues
- Frozen screens requiring app reinstall
- GPS functionality unreliable (20% success rate)

**Most requested features**

- Simplified and more intuitive UI redesign
- Gear and rack information for routes
- Pitch length specifications
- User ratings and comments system
- Personalization settings (filter preferences)
- PDF guidebook downloads
- YouTube tutorial videos for app navigation
- Climbing log with progress tracking
- Route notes and personal annotations
- Better offline map handling
- Access codes for physical guidebook purchases
- Improved map clustering for nearby crags

## Recent user reviews (10 of 102)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rakkup/id519148082/reviews.md

### 1/5 — UI is trash

*2026-08-09, version 41.0*

The info is great if you can get to it.  Absolutely garbage UI though

### 1/5 — Terrible UI

*2026-02-24, version 41.0*

This app is extremely difficult to use, and lacks many of the features offered by other guide apps. The navigation requires background location usage and every time you open the app it insists on showing a splash screen even though it has my last viewed page cached.

### 1/5 — Nightmare

*2026-01-17, version 41.0*

I really like the idea but the navigation in the app is a nightmare. Why couldn’t they use the same interface layout as mountain project? There is collapsible menu after collapsible menu. I can’t handle it.

### 2/5 — Hard to use app but often good guidebooks

*2025-10-19, version 41.0*

I don’t like the app it’s hard to use  especially when compared to mountain project. The guide books are sometimes good and sometimes not, as some authors put more work than others. No good mechanism for correcting mistakes or leaving comments

### 1/5 — Lost years of ticks

*2025-10-12, version 41.0*

Log in no longer works. Tried everything. Lost 10 years of climbing ticks.

### 3/5 — Lots of potential, still better than no guidebook!

*2025-05-25, version 41.0*

Initially couldn’t download the guidebook of my area, took a week+ to figure it out
However, now that it works- this app has massive potential to be the best: great layout, lots of info spots, useable gps without data
Buggy at times, one example: reducing “subcategories” of areas- doesnt tick close

### 1/5 — Wouldn’t recommend

*2025-05-03, version 41.0*

App randomly crashes and it seems like it isn’t maintained anymore.

### 1/5 — Terrible terrible terrible

*2025-03-25, version 41.0*

There’s so many bugs with the app and it’s such a pain to use. I wish I saw the app before purchasing the guide on their site. I was hoping I could just download a pdf of it. Should change their name to outdoor finessers

### 1/5 — Actually gotten worse

*2025-03-09, version 41.0*

I got the app back in 2021, and since then I noticed that the main guidebooks I used for the New straight up are missing areas and routes when compared to my friend’s physical guidebook of the exact same copy. Routes are also mislabeled when comparing the list to the images. I’ve emailed rakkup before to get them to press for an update from the author with no response back. If you want to use this for the New, support Waterstonia and just get a physical copy instead.

### 2/5 — Not a guidebook

*2024-12-31, version 41.0*

Bought a digital “guidebook”, unfortunately they don’t offer digital guidebooks they just sell the content in their app as a “guidebook”. I find the app is difficult to use and the guidebook I bought exists as a print book so why I can’t buy a digital copy is strange to me. I am not trying to be overly negative but I just wish they gave users the choice of how they want to use it. I’ll need to buy the print version now to get what I was hoping for.

## Frequently asked questions about rakkup

### What does the rakkup app do?

rakkup provides access to a comprehensive collection of climbing and backcountry skiing guidebooks that can be used offline. It also offers turn-by-turn GPS navigation to guide users to their desired climbs or descents, even in areas without cell service.

### How does the offline functionality work?

Once guidebooks are downloaded to your device, they are fully accessible without any internet connection. This means you can plan and navigate your outdoor adventures even in remote locations where cell coverage is unavailable.

### Is rakkup free to use?

The app itself is free to download and offers free sample climbs and ski descents. Additional guidebooks can be purchased within the app, making it a free with in-app purchases model.

### What kind of content is included in the guidebooks?

The guidebooks are rich with content, including color photos and detailed topo drawings. They are produced in partnership with various publishers to offer a comprehensive resource for climbers and skiers.

### Can the app help me find my way to a specific climb?

Yes, the app features turn-by-turn navigation that uses your phone's GPS to guide you through trail systems directly to your chosen climb or ski descent. It continuously calculates the easiest route from your current location.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 41.0 — 2024-03-01

Support for ATES (Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale) ratings in some Backcountry Skiing guidebooks. \

### 40.1 — 2023-06-12

Improved topo maps for our climbing guidebooks, support for updating to new editions,  and improvements to performance and reliability.

### 40.0 — 2023-05-29

Improved topo maps for our climbing guidebooks, and support for updating to new editions.

### 39.0 — 2023-03-28

Improved interface for managing Ticks, added map improvements for climbing guidebooks, improved legends, fixed crash for iOS 12 users.

### 38.0 — 2022-10-27

Important bug fixes and improvements for the upcoming season.

## Apps similar to rakkup

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [The Topo \| Rock Climbing Guide](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-topo-rock-climbing-guide/id1010852143) | 3.0 (37) | Free | Sports |
| [Mountain Project](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mountain-project/id452308783) | 4.6 (4,519) | Free | Sports |
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| [AspectAvy](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aspectavy/id1660488296) | 3.8 (37) | Free | Sports |
| [Vertical-Life Climbing](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vertical-life-climbing/id710386774) | 2.7 (46) | Free | Sports |

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-28.*