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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-AU link=blue vlink=purple style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>Hi Folks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>Also be aware that there are also websites using their own ‘grading systems’ based on a combination of other systems (AWTGS and/or Australian Standards combinations or straight out their own gradings) so please ensure that they actually explicitly state that it’s the Australian Walking Track Grading system that they are using exclusively before tagging it as such.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><a href="https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/safety/bushwalking-safety/australian-walking-track-grading-system">https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/safety/bushwalking-safety/australian-walking-track-grading-system</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><a href="https://www.ffm.vic.gov.au/recreational-activities/walking-and-camping/australian-walking-track-grading-system">https://www.ffm.vic.gov.au/recreational-activities/walking-and-camping/australian-walking-track-grading-system</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>All the systems are often misinterpreted by folks not in the land management field so please be careful. Officially signed classifications from the land management agency would be the only ones I would trust that have been applied correctly.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>Like Andrew, I am not a fan of these classifications but tourism associations, promoters, some commercial guiding establishments and some walking clubs love them as a way to ‘guide people’ about the ‘general difficulty’ of the track.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>Cheers - Phil<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-US>From:</span></b><span lang=EN-US> Andrew Harvey <andrew.harvey4@gmail.com> <br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, 16 September 2021 11:54 AM<br><b>To:</b> Ian Steer <iansteer@iinet.net.au><br><b>Cc:</b> OSM Australian Talk List <talk-au@openstreetmap.org><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [talk-au] Tagging hiking path difficulty - Australian Walking Track Grading System (AWTGS)<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>If it's signposted or we have compatible data for officially assigned classifications you use a new tag like awtgs=1-5. It would be a good idea to document this tag if used on the wiki so that others can understand how to apply it and use it.<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>We would need to decide if it should only be tagged for officially assigned classifications, or if every track we can assign a classification and tag that. I'm leaning towards only tagging those officially assigned.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Personally I'm not a fan of the grading system, but it does exist and so you can tag it.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>The grading system (per descibed at <a href="https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/safety/bushwalking-safety/australian-walking-track-grading-system">https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/safety/bushwalking-safety/australian-walking-track-grading-system</a>) is comprised of a few independent variables, like<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>- steepness (which data consumers can determine via external terrain data)<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>- length (can be calculated)<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>- surface (could be covered by the surface=* tag, smoothness=* tag, and highway=steps)<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>We already have in use and documented tags in OSM for:<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>1. trail_visibility=*, which as currently documented covers both how well signposted a route is and how visible/easy to follow the path is<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>2. sac_scale=* which is kind of tagging the technical difficulty (eg. do you need to use your hands and arms to climb up the track, is it highly exposed on cliff edges etc.)<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Then we also have existing tags trailblazed=* and information=guidepost/route_marker.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>I try to map all these specific variables and elements which provides richer data, but I would also support including officially assigned AWTGS via awtgs=*.<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>On Thu, 16 Sept 2021 at 11:00, <<a href="mailto:iansteer@iinet.net.au">iansteer@iinet.net.au</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0cm'><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span lang=EN-US>I’m unsure in how to apply the AWTGS to walking/hiking paths.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span lang=EN-US> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span lang=EN-US>I followed through a very long OSM discussion thread from 2020, but didn’t see any resolution(I don’t think the discussion was Australian specific)</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span lang=EN-US> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span lang=EN-US>What are others doing ?</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span lang=EN-US> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span lang=EN-US>Ian</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal>_______________________________________________<br>Talk-au mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Talk-au@openstreetmap.org" target="_blank">Talk-au@openstreetmap.org</a><br><a href="https://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk-au" target="_blank">https://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk-au</a><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote></div></div></body></html>