Track Elevation in Map Not Displaying - Montana 700i

Cannot speak to the weird response from Garmin support. But do note that you don't have to be "on site" to navigate the track. If you are not "there", I think the worst thing you will see is a long route from where you are to the start of the track. I don't have any data with which to try it, though.

Otherwise, consider using the route planner. I DID just try this with an externally generated .gpx track. Got a very nice elevation profile. Did not have to navigate the route either.

If you use Basecamp, the track elevation is in the code
If you use Garmin Explore Web the elevation is not in the track code.
When you use the Garmin Explore app, the elevation plot populates from the map in the app - "get elevation"
When the Garmin Explore app syncs with the Montana device the map on the Montana does not pull elevation like the Garmin app.
If you use Basecamp you give up the auto synch and synergy between the web, app and device.
If you use the Garmin Explore app you get the synergy of synch which is a benefit with no elevation on the device.

Bottom Line my testing suggests that a firmware update to the Garmin Montana device that mimics the code in the Garmin Explore app you will likely be able to get the elevation plot.  The Garmin Explore app must have some code in it that uses it's map to generate the beautiful elevation plot.

If you use Basecamp you are likely to give up the Explore platform synergy.

**Do not make a track into a route as it will corrupt the track and not be visible on the Montana - only a hard reset will clear the corrupted "invisible" track.

The best practical solution may be to have developers look at the difference in the code from the Explore app versus the Montana to see if they can duplicate the behavior of the Explore app.

I will see if I sync my Fenix 7 to the Explore app to see if I get an elevation graph.  If so the weakness is in the Montana utilizing the same protocol as the Garmin Explore app with respect to elevation.  That is pulling elevation from the map and not the track that is sync'd to the Garmin Explore app.

I bet they can figure it out but it is a very complicated situation.

Anyway I love the Montana and will not use Basecamp due to the synergy with the web and the device.

There is a fundamental question here. I can't tell if you know the answer or not. The question is whether the .gpx FILE on the Montana DOES or DOES NOT contain elevation for the points in the track. This might depend on how the track was originally recorded, as well as on how the .gpx file made it onto the Montana.

I don't remember the details, but I do recall that this question (elevation data in the .gpx) has come up in other contexts.

And yes, some applications (and devices?) do get elevation from DEM data associated with a map. This is akin to looking at contour lines on a topo map. This is supposed to be at least as accurate as what you find in a track recorded with GPS-derived altitude. If you have a track which includes elevation in a context which can also use DEM data, I would expect to see the elevation recorded in the track. But I don't know for sure.

You are 100% correct in this question now that I have looked both at Basecamp and Garmin Explore Web. **Basecamp has all elevation data when the track is imported.  Garmin Explore web does not.  The .GPX tracks I am importing are good files with all data.

This explains it then potentially.  Basecamp recognizes elevation data on these tracks.  So my question is does the Garmin Explore web have an issue interacting with the GPX file I am importing and not recognizing the elevation data.

I guess I need to try the experiment with using Basecamp and that may answer this once and for all.  I am hesitant because I like the synergy between all the Explore apps and the device.

I guess I can risk losing my work if on Explore if I try this as I am a week into loading and labeling 52 tracks for Mt. Athos Greece which are beautiful on the Montana and Explore app. 

This may be the reason though that you so thoughtfully ask here.  I will decide what I wish to do.

By the way, I saved (exported) my edited GPX files from Explore and loaded those into basecamp.  They, if I remember had elevation stripped from them.  So the import of a good GPX into explore web and or app may not have the elevation data persist.

This is a great discussion here as to the behavior of GPX files in on these platforms.

Experimentation with all these platforms introduces uncertainty. You can just look at the .gpx file directly. it is a text file. You can open it with a dumb text editor like Windows Notepad.  At some level, you will see track points like the following example. If the <ele> element is non-empty, you have elevation data in the file. If it is empty or zero (more likely empty), you do not have elevation data.

<trkpt lat="38.6357929185" lon="-90.5766309332"><ele>208.49</ele><time>2020-05-29T12:01:45Z</time></trkpt>

Elevation is in meters. Both elevation and lat/lon are based on the WGS 84 datum. 

Excellent I will do this now, I used notepad to excel to compare duplicate tracks before using the formula =exact(a1,b1) as an aside to match text strings.

I am going to look at the <ele> now and report back.

Looks like <ele> is in the GPX file and here's an example

<trkpt lat="40.140356021001935" lon="24.29691600613296">
<ele>298.14999999999998</ele>
<time>2014-05-23T07:34:53Z</time>
</trkpt>
<trkpt lat="40.140388961881399" lon="24.296931009739637">
<ele>301.37299999999999</ele>
<time>2014-05-23T07:34:38Z</time>
</trkpt>
<trkpt lat="40.140379993245006" lon="24.296983983367682">
<ele>304.86799999999999</ele>
<time>2014-05-23T07:34:22Z</time>
</trkpt>
<trkpt lat="40.140392985194921" lon="24.297004016116261">
<ele>311.13600000000002</ele>

CTL Search brings up line by line <ele>

Where are you looking for the elevation profile (for a track) on the unit? I've never looked for this and do not see it.

Saved Tracks > Pick a track > three choices across top - choose third that looks like a mountain, that's the elevation plot