Building a Modern Munro Tracking App: A Developer’s Journey

As an aspiring developer exploring new horizons, I’m excited to share my current side project and seek some insights from the community. Having spent several years working in the web development landscape — primarily utilizing low-code and no-code platforms like Squarespace and Webflow — I’ve become quite comfortable with vanilla CSS, HTML, and basic JavaScript, even creating custom plugins along the way. However, I feel my skills have plateaued, and I’m eager to challenge myself with a more ambitious project that aligns with my passions.

For my latest endeavor, I’ve chosen to develop a dedicated web app tailored to hill-walkers and outdoor enthusiasts in Scotland, focusing on the famous ‘Munro Bagging’ challenge. In this hobby, enthusiasts aim to summit every Munro — mountains exceeding 3,000 feet — of which there are 282 in total. While some websites like munromap.co.uk and munrobagger.scot offer tracking and information, they often feel outdated or overly simplistic.

My vision is to craft a sleek, modern, single-page application (SPA) that elevates the user experience with richer features. I want to make it more than just a tracker; I aim to include social functionalities for users to compare their progress with friends and plan future adventures.

Designing the Tech Stack

After conducting thorough research, I’ve outlined a plan leveraging contemporary tools and frameworks to achieve my goals:

• Frontend: Next.js combined with Tailwind CSS. I plan to create individual Munro information pages for better SEO and discoverability.

• Mapping: Mapbox GL for detailed, interactive maps to visualize Munro locations and user routes.

• Backend & Authentication: Supabase, for its ease of integration and real-time database capabilities.

• Hosting & Deployment: Vercel, promising seamless deployment and scalability.

Seeking Feedback

This project marks a significant leap forward from my current skill set, and I recognize there’s a lot to learn along the way. I would love to hear if you think this approach makes sense or if there are alternative tools or methodologies I should consider. Additionally, any advice on implementation, best practices, or potential pitfalls would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your insights — I’m excited to get started and share my progress!