Griffmonster Walks Markdown Studio available on GitHub

Griffmonster Walks Markdown Studio is now available on GitHub. This enables markdown files to be authored and edited as the first part of the process to create a walks blogger site.

https://griffmonster.github.io/markdown-studio/

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Griffmonsters GPX Route Creator Updates

During the winter of 2025/26 we created the GPX Route Creator as an alternative to off-the-shelf sites, apps and utilities. During 2026, this has been tested in anger both in the UK and abroad. It has worked really well and does exactly what we wanted it to do, to simply and easily allow the user to create a route on-the-fly that can then be loaded into into a mobile app for subsequent following.

We have used it on the desktop to create walks, to record routes that are then published on the website and to investigate potential routes and trails. However, the biggest gain has been when using the utility on a mobile device when out on location. This had always been difficult using other software on a small screen which always seemed to be far too cluttered and difficult to create a true reflection of the route we wanted. The fact that you can minimize and drag and drop the Tools Panel across the screen really is a big helper as it frees up the real estate of the screen which is what is required when using a mobile device. This has been used extensively on location throughout the year. We think it works a treat even though we say so ourselves.

In addition, a few minor bugs have been fixed over the year. We now enter the winter development period and have added a few more enhancements to the 0.54 Beta version. These include:

• Using the users location when landing on the page, rather than the default static location. This is certainly helpful in the UK although I am now so sure for the Rhodes Walks website, so this may get omitted here.
• A new button on the left to enable recentring the map on the users location
• Added a start marker - this was an annoyance when making the first click to generate the route as you never knew if it had set the point. This now clarifies that the starting point has been set
• Similarly, we have added a the finish marker, this updates to the last point as the route is platted
• Adjusted the position of the Panel on small screen to prevent it dropping off the bottom of the screen - another annoyance that we encountered

After a little more testing of these enhancements I think we will be ready to make this a full v1.00 release

See it in action at https://griffmonster-walks.blogspot.com/p/gpx-route-creator.html

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New Markdown Authoring Environment

As Autumn brings more inclement weather, we turn from undertaking walks to more recording and publishing of walks and further development on the Walks sites and the pipelines that support them.

One area exploited during the previous winter was to integrate a Markdown workflow where authoring of walk details move from an XML based authoring environment to markdown - which was a lot easier and quicker to author. The original method used the WalkML markup language which was all well and good in its day but as times change it really is now time to move on. Therefore implementing a Markdown workflow into the existing XSLT pipelines was the way forward. No more manually coding XML data in Notepad++, moving to markdown in the same environment using the Markdown plugin. This worked ok but we always felt it could be improved, and make it easier to author.

Therefore we have created a browser baser dedicated Griffmonster Walks Markdown authoring evenironemnt tailored for our own use. This enables:

• Toolbar to auto apply styles
• Load the MD template for a new walk
• Load existing files for editing
• Auto saving work so nothing is lost
• Browser based incorrect spelling highlighter
• Validation script to assess that it will run through the xslt pipeline seamlessly
• Formatted panel to view the marked data on-the-fly

Not only has this speeded up delivery of our own walks, but in the past I have had a few requests from other potential authors who wanted to contribute who did not want to learn the XML based coding restrictions. This will make this a whole lot easier for contributors.

This is all looking very promising and future updates may include:

• Add in methods to record walk metadata - this is currently manually added to the GPX.
• Allowance of using common data and linking this into the markdown - this will then get picked up by the xslt pipeline
• Develop an XSLT to convert the original walkML data to markdown

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v0.53 update to Griffmonsters GPX Creator

Version 0.53 of the GPX Creator has now been rolled out. A few minor fixes that led to a bit of frustration when using it, all down to the draggable tools menu.

Issue 1 - The tools menu would get hidden under the fixed nav bar when dragging it up the screen. It could still be retrieved but was frustrating that the top of it got lost. This has now been fixed such that it can only be dragged as far as the navbar. On full screen view there is a similar fix such that it does not obscure the layers and location menus.

Issue 2 - The collapsed width of the Tool Menu. This contracted width wise forcing the title onto two lines. The width is now retained.

Issue 3 - The collapse/expand button on the Tool Menu icon did not change between collapse and expand views. This is now fixed and the icon toggles between the usual collapse and expand icons.

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Update to the Griffmonsters GPX Route Creator

Having spent 11 days exploring the Greek island of Crete, the Griffmonster GPX Route Creator tool came in very handy. This made it so easy, having learnt of new places and features to visit whilst based in the village of Piskopiano, to craft a route to walk to the feature we had been told about. This was the first time that we used the tool in anger and it proved to be easy to just create the route, download the plotted GPX, and then pull it into our navigation app, this currently being the OruxMaps.

However, there was one niggling issue that was found when plotting the route on a mobile device. When changing the screen map by clicking the right hand layers box, it was found that the top of the map layers container became hidden underneath the location bar, completely obscuring the default map selection. It was easy enough to work around but very annoying. Consequently, an improvement needed to be made once we returned from our Greek walking expeditions.

To accommodate the maps in the layer container, some css adjustments will now hide the location bar, returning it when closing the layers bar by clicking elsewhere on the page. This functionality is specific to screen sizes up to a maximum of 600px width. A few other css changes have also been made to the location bar, and this now works better for all screen sizes.

Screenshot of the Griffmonster GPX Route Creator tool as displayed on a mobile device

Screenshot of the Griffmonster GPX Route Creator tool with the map layers expanded on a mobile device

The Griffmonsters GPX Route Creator tool version has now been increased to v0.52

This has been updated for both the Griffmonsters Great Walks and the Rhodes Great Walks websites.

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Workflow Update - added in Batch Script Link Tester

Now includes the batch file that is output from the XSLT's that generate the Blog HTML

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Links, Dead Links and Missing Resources

We at Griffmonsters Great Walks make extensive use of the humble HTML anchor element to link to external resources. These links provide additional information and context for each walk, as well as references for facts and historical details mentioned on the site.

However, external websites are often transient by nature. A valuable resource may be available one day, then disappear a month, a year, or a decade later. In the best-case scenario, a 301 HTTP response redirects to an updated URI. In many cases, though, links instead return a 404 response, or worse, a 5XX server error.

This has naturally led to regular checks of linked resources using both online tools and open-source software. Traditionally, this has been a time-consuming and labour-intensive task, usually carried out during the winter months when short daylight hours and poor weather make walking less practical.

This year, however, the process has improved considerably. A custom Python script was created to process a generated list of all pages and validate their links. This proved that some previously used methods were missing a significant number of broken pages and links.

In addition to this full-site testing, a batch script is now generated in the build pipeline. It takes the source data and transforms it into blog HTML while also extracting a list of external URIs. These are then tested using Curl, with the results written to a text report. This allows targeted testing whenever a new walk is added or an older page is updated.

This year’s results have been particularly thorny, with a great deal of time spent finding suitable replacements for missing resources. Fortunately, in many cases, the Archive.org Wayback Machine has been able to provide archived copies of missing pages.

That is not always possible. Academic websites and commercial organisations — especially those hosting PDF documents — are often not archived reliably. In these cases, documents may have moved to a new URI without redirection, been removed entirely, or been superseded by newer material. This is especially problematic when walk notes rely on quoted or referenced material from those sources.

Another area affected by dead links are pubs. In recent years, many have closed permanently or been converted into housing or other uses. The scale of closures is substantial and surprising. In these cases, archived pub websites are often of limited practical value, though they may still hold historical interest. Where relevant, notes have been added to indicate closures, and links to CAMRA pages are included where pub history information is available.

Transport links are similarly transient. Routes are withdrawn, services change, and operators come and go. For anyone planning a walk from the site, the best option is to consult Traveline directly. Transport information on individual walk pages should therefore be treated primarily as historical reference material. More improvements in this area may follow.

In conclusion, the Griffmonsters Great Walks site has now been updated, and most links should be functioning correctly apart from a small number of archived pages that still require manual attention. Rhodes Great Walks is next in line for validation, though it is expected to contain fewer dead links overall.

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