How Scórtol works
Scórtol is a free web app that designs circular (loop) hiking routes for you: you pick a start point, set how far you want to walk and how much you want to climb, and it returns several ready-made loops that come back to where you started — each with an elevation profile and a downloadable GPX track.
- 1
Pick a start point
Tap anywhere on the map inside the covered area, or search for a place by name — a mountain hut, a lake, a trailhead, a village. That point is where your loop begins and ends.
- 2
Set distance and ascent
Choose a target distance (2–50 km) and a target elevation gain (0–3000 m). Together they decide whether you get a gentle valley stroll or a demanding climb.
- 3
Choose priority and surface
Tell Scórtol what matters most — hitting the distance, the ascent, or a balance — and whether you prefer trails or paved roads. It biases the search accordingly.
- 4
Generate and compare
Scórtol returns up to five distinct loops. Each shows its real distance, total ascent and an elevation profile, so you can compare them at a glance and pick the one you like.
- 5
Export the GPX
Download the route as a GPX file and load it into your GPS watch, phone app or navigation device for the trail.
What makes the routes good
Scórtol is built on OpenStreetMap trail data enriched with real elevation. It genuinely walks the trail network to build loops that return to the start, prefers real paths over roads, tries to reach nearby summits and viewpoints where the ascent budget allows, and offers routes that differ from one another so you have a real choice rather than five variations of the same track.
Ready for your next loop?
Drop a start point on the map and let Scórtol do the planning.
Open the map