Query Regarding the "AscentPlanning" Feature (GPSMap H1 / Etrex Touch)

Dear Garmin Technical Support Team,

I am writing to inquire about the "AscentPlanning" feature advertised for the GPSMap H1 and Etrex Touch receivers in promotional materials and on the official website. This functionality was described as displaying upcoming ascents/climbs along a pre-loaded route or course.

Such a feature is genuinely invaluable for navigation in mountainous terrain.

While I did not necessarily anticipate a feature as sophisticated as the dedicated ClimbPro function found in your high-end smartwatches or cycling devices (such as the Garmin Edge series), I must admit that its inclusion in a top-tier outdoor navigation unit would not be surprising or out of place.

However, I currently have the distinct impression that the "AscentPlanning" feature remained purely conceptual or 'on paper' and was ultimately never implemented in the final receiver firmware. The only elevation-related visualization available appears to be the standard, long-established route profile graph, with no further analytical data.

Therefore, I kindly request that Garmin provide a clear official statement on this matter:

1. What exactly did the manufacturer intend by "AscentPlanning," and what specific functionality are we, as purchasers, entitled to expect from this feature?

Thank you for your prompt clarification.

  • Good question. The feature is listed on the Garmin US product page for the H1i Plus, but is nowhere to be found on the H1 and H1i Plus.

    Hopefully Garmin will add the feature at a later time. But I guess the dev team has their hand full on making the unit work correctly in the first place...

  • Yes, I'd like to hear from Garmin about this "omission" as well...but it's more likely that "AscentPlanning" will appear on the next generation units...in other words, a hardware upgrade in two years.

    BTW, @JungleJim, I am WallyGator over at the other GPSr**** forum (not sure I can mention the name)

  • We do have a team investigating your inquiry regarding the Ascent Panning feature. You will be notified via email if there are any updates into that investigation. 

  • Thank you to the Garmin specialists for the reply.

    I genuinely hope the mentioned team working on a proper response will be able to provide it reasonably quickly.

    I will refrain from any cynical remarks, such as "just ask the Marketing Department what they meant when writing about this feature," because I truly wish to keep the GPSMap H1 device. I appreciate the hardware concept and am counting on the developers to do a solid job addressing this matter.

    The "AscentPlanning" functionality was one of the key motivators for this purchase and for upgrading from my previous model.

    I sincerely hope we will see this feature fully implemented before Garmin decides to drop support for this model and release a new one. Should that happen, it will be my last Garmin device (and I've owned several dozen over the years). I understand this is just a drop in the ocean for Garmin, but I have made this decision.

    Best regards while awaiting your reply.

    I would also be grateful if the Garmin specialists could address my other thread regarding the non-functional LiveTrack feature.

    I should mention that I reported both of these issues a long time ago as a technical support claim/ticket, but I have not received a resolution for the broken LiveTrack, nor an answer concerning AscentPlanning.