Elevation Plot data and some Elevation Data Fields explanation (looking for a pretty technical response!)

Mintaka said:

Average Ascent

What exactly is this data field telling me? A google search reveals it is total ascent divided by total minutes spent climbing. Which would indicated it is an average of METERS per MINUTE while climbing. But I'm getting values like 400 when I hike, so I can only assume it's actually METERS per HOUR?

In System Units, you can set Vert Speed - so just checking mine it says Meters Per Hour.Can be changed to per min/sec as well as some others - so I think your guess is correct here

Mintaka said:

Incidentally, on the ClimbPro screen, the number at the top right is also far greater than I would have expected for total climb remaining on that hill. Is it also showing me total elevation change (ascent plus descent) remaining until the top of the climb?

Could someone please explain exactly what this field is indicating (and also if the field at the top right of ClimbPro is essentially the same data, except of course for just the active climb?)

Any help

https://support.garmin.com/en-GB/?faq=t7uVHq6n7Q9xJAk3XcHdV6

During a Climb Activity Time The number of the climb The distance remaining in the climb The ascent remaining for the climb Chart showing the profile Average grade for the climb A configurable data field (default is Vertical Speed)
Out of Climb  Activity Time The next climb number The total climb distance Total ascent Chart showing the profile Average Grade The distance to the start

Off Course

The distance to the left or right by which you have strayed from the original path of travel. You must be navigating for this data to appear.

(From the Fenix manual) .

My guess is it's not a cumulative value. SO for example, if you go up to 1K off course it'll show 1, then as you return back it'll show zero.

Mintaka said:

COURSE

Used this field once in an activity (while navigating a course) and it just read 0 the whole time. I have used OFF-COURSE and that indicates, it seems, the distance in km laterally off the course line. That makes sense. But what is COURSE? Why is it always 0?

Mintaka said:

a) Difference in elevation between the highest point on my course and my current altitude (just the straight difference - if my hike has a high point of 2000m and I'm currently at 1500m it should read 500m - even if there are actually a number of climbs and descents before I get there.

There's a couple that do it from the starting point, e.g. https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/2ce8bd83-62e2-4a74-a272-f6444243c788

But I haven't found one that does it from the highest point yet.

Thanks for the quick replies AJR...!

Average Ascent: yes that does help! I didn't realize that was a system unit that could be changed. I guess that might also explain the discrepancy between the garmin support article about average ascent and the actual results!

ClimbPro Screen: So the field I'm referring to is "During a Climb 4. The ascent remaining for the climb"...   except that it is not true (it seems.) As an example today when hiking, I was 200m from my current position to the top of a climb. But the number in field 4 said 350m. And this error was verified by looking at my 'total ascent' data field. In the above situation, the total ascent data field increased by 210m when I got to the top of the climb. So the 350m indication at that intermediate point was more or less was out to lunch. 

Course: Yes I understand the field "OFF-COURSE". But my question was - what is "COURSE" (it's a different data field.) 

Thanks!

Ah, My bad on the Course thing :) 

The manual says

Course

The direction from your starting location to a destination. Course can be viewed as a planned or set route. You must be navigating for this data to appear.

So I guess it's a heading/bearing?

Mintaka said:

ClimbPro Screen: So the field I'm referring to is "During a Climb 4. The ascent remaining for the climb"...   except that it is not true (it seems.) As an example today when hiking, I was 200m from my current position to the top of a climb. But the number in field 4 said 350m. And this error was verified by looking at my 'total ascent' data field. In the above situation, the total ascent data field increased by 210m when I got to the top of the climb. So the 350m indication at that intermediate point was more or less was out to lunch

MM I'll keep an eye on that then First thought is that GPS smoothing is taking place perhaps? I'e if it's gaining ascent from following the ascent on the watch from the DEM model on the map, versus the actual ascent as a difference between where you are now to where you are then?

One way of testing that would be trying one of the third party free OSM maps and repeating a segment, see if that number changes?

Does that make sense to you?

From DC Rainmaker's review on the 5+

"A couple of final tidbits on ClimbPro.  When in between climbs it’ll show details in grey for the next climb (upcoming climb).  The elevation data is gathered from either that of the course creation tool (i.e., Garmin Connect), or if building a route on the watch itself, then it’ll use the DEM data within the pre-loaded maps on the watch."

So yes it's using the DEM data to give you projected ascents. I wonder if you're seeing DEM errors in your local area in getting that ascent wrong, are you seeing similar errors in other areas (i.e away from that area)?

I'm already using a free OSM map. That's because the watch was bought in the USA but I live in Hong Kong. So it was my only choice! 

The courses that I have tested were created on either Strava.com or Komoot.com. So based on your info above from Rainmaker it seems like the elevation data (including 'ascent remaining' will come from whatever map source Strava and Komoot are using? Well ok I can try and make a course on Garmin Connect itself and see if that makes any difference. If tey were small errors I'd understand. But the errors are on a huge scale. Sometimes 2x or more wrong. 

Had a look at the app you suggested above. Not quite what I was looking for though. That app / data field is giving elevation difference from the start of the activity to where you are now. What I'm looking for is a data field that gives the elevation difference from where I am now to the maximum elevation in the course. Anyway - I'm figuring out pretty quickly that I'm just going to have to figure out how to design data fields myself! I used to do it a lot with Suunto. Never tried Garmin - that's a whole new can of worms to open up for me!

Try PlotAroute as well? Map out a simple 1km route with ascent, do the same with one other perhaps just to rule it out?

Yeah, I think you're data field needs may be a little unusual - but if you do do it, you'll have one downloader :) me!