The official blog for Google Maps
Notes from the top of the world: A behind-the-scenes look at our latest Google Maps special collection
March 18, 2013
Today, we released
photos of the some of the most famous mountains
in the world on Google Maps. I was lucky to be part of the team that traveled around the world to capture the imagery and experience the mountains first-hand.
I’ve always had a sense of adventure. In 2011, when my colleague asked if I wanted to go on a trip to Everest Base Camp, I couldn’t resist, and we recruited a group of Googlers and fellow explorers to join us. Then we learned we could capture imagery of our trip for Google Maps with a tripod and a digital camera. We had plenty of room in our packs, so we loaded up our cameras and mountaineering gear, and hopped on a plane to Nepal.
Tenzing-Hillary Airport - the most
dangerous airport in the world
Our adventures began with the trek to Everest Base Camp where we spent 12 days in the mountains battling altitude sickness, an earthquake, mudslides, snow storms and flash floods.
T
he highest altitude we reached was 18,192 feet -- higher than anywhere in the contiguous U.S. -- and we hiked more than 70 miles (or 50 hours) during the trip. We carried our camera equipment everywhere we went and captured a collection of panoramas at key camps and other interesting stops along the way. Below are a few excerpts from the journal I kept during our trip:
Buddhist mantras outside the town of Lukla
Day 2:
Today we arrived at Namche Bazaar -- “the gateway to the high Himalaya.” It’s a good-sized town with lots of hotels, shops and a pharmacy. Many hikers stop here for altitude acclimatization on their way to Everest. During our stay there was
a 6.9 earthquake
! It was scary, especially when we realized we were in a developing country that doesn’t have infrastructure or emergency services like back home in California. We were fortunate that there was very little damage where we were.
Fisheye view of Namche Bazaar
Day 3:
W
e woke up to a clear morning. The mountains were absolutely spectacular! We spent the day taking pictures of the town with our Street View cameras and meticulously taking notes on a map so we could remember what we were capturing once we were back at sea level. Everyone, including me, is starting to feel the effects of the altitude (mostly nausea and headaches), and we’re barely above 11,000 ft.
Googlers Sara Pelosi and Andrew Swerdlow with Ama Dablam looming in the distance
Day 4:
The morning was a pretty easy walk, mostly traversing the mountain ridges. After we stopped for tea there was a long climb, "up up up" according to our guide, all on switchbacks. We stopped in Tengboche for lunch, then photographed the monastery with the fisheye lens. Amazing place. The monks watched us closely as we walked around. I don't know if they were more interested in the Americans or the photography. We continued on to Pangboche where we stayed for the night. When we got to Pangboche we saw a patch of blue sky and a rainbow. I'm still optimistic that we'll see at least a glimpse of the peak of Everest. Our guide says, "can be", which we’ve learned is the answer to every question. We're not even quite to 13,000 ft here. A long way left to go up.
The incredible Tengboche Monastery (
View Larger Map
)
Day 8:
We left early in the morning and hiked for about three hours until we reached a small village called
Gorak Shep
. The hike was flat along a river for several hours, then turned into a very steep climb. When we arrived at Base Camp, it was the most amazing feeling of accomplishment. We had finally made it to the base of the top of the world! We wouldn’t have gotten here without our expert guide and porters who know the mountains like the back of their hand and were essential to the success and safety of our trip. I barely stopped to enjoy the moment before wanting to accomplish the next goal - photographing the Base Camp where a real summit expedition had actually set up camp.
The Everest trekking group with our amazing guides
We’re honored to share this amazing imagery with you on Google Maps and show the world what life is like from its highest peaks! To see more of this collection, visit the
Street View Gallery
or download Google Maps on
your iPhone
or
Android device
.
And join us for a
Hangout on Air
today at 10:00 am PT where we’ll answer questions about our adventures.
Posted by Sara Pelosi, People Programs Manager, on behalf of entire expedition team
Make a map that will change the world with Google Earth Outreach Developer Grants
March 13, 2013
For the third year, I’m excited to announce the call for 2013 Google Earth Outreach Developer Grants applications is now open.
Google Earth Outreach Developer Grants
provide funding to nonprofit organizations ranging between $10,000 and $20,000 on average to build a map that will help them accomplish their mission, be it around environmental issues, humanitarian causes, disaster relief prevention, or health issues. If your nonprofit has a great idea for a map that can change the world,
apply for a 2013 Google Earth Outreach Developer Grant today
.
This year, we checked in with our
2011 Developer Grantees
to learn about the impact their maps had on each nonprofit’s overall mission one year after the launch of the map. We were proud of the many achievements of the nonprofits’ work. Here are some of my favorite examples:
WWF & Eyes on the Forest mapped deforestation rates and wildlife habitat in Sumatra.
WWF & Eyes on the Forest
created a map to showcase deforestation in Sumatra. With the Google Maps Engine map as part of their “
Don’t Flush Tiger Forests
” campaign, they convinced 17 out of 20 US retailers to stop buying toilet paper from companies cutting down intact hardwood rainforests and critical tiger habitat in Sumatra.
The HALO Trust mapped their minefield clearance work in a Google Earth Tour
The HALO Trust clears minefields in previously war-torn regions around the world, including Angola, Afghanistan and Cambodia. Upon the launch of their
Google Earth tours
designed to raise awareness about their work, they saw the most traffic to their website over the entire calendar year.
iNaturalist taps into citizen scientists who submit research-grade species observations to a global map using Android devices and iPhones
iNaturalist.org’s Android app, designed to collect species observations from around the world from citizen scientists, has been installed on over 2000 Android devices. The number of scientific-grade research observations has more than quadrupled. We look forward to hearing about the impacts of our
2012 Developer Grantees’
maps as they are launched in coming months. Good luck to nonprofits who apply to our
2013 Google Earth Outreach Developer Grants
, and if you are a nonprofit with a great idea for a map,
apply for a grant
!
Posted by Tanya Birch, Google Earth Outreach
Public Alerts for Google Search, Google Now and Google Maps available in Japan
March 7, 2013
With
nearly 5,000 earthquakes a year
, it’s important for people in Japan to have crisis preparedness and response information available at their fingertips. And from our own
research
, we know that when a disaster strikes, people turn to the Internet for more information about what is happening.
With this in mind, we’re launching Google Public Alerts today in Japan—the first international expansion of a service we
debuted
last year in the United States. Google Public Alerts is a platform designed to provide accurate and relevant emergency alerts when and where you’re searching for them online.
Relevant earthquake and tsunami warnings for Japan will now appear on Google Search, Google Maps and Google Now when you search online during a time of crisis. If a major earthquake alert is issued in Kanagawa Prefecture, for example, the alert information will appear on your desktop and mobile screens when you search for relevant information on Google Search and Google Maps.
Example of a Google Search result on a tablet showing a tsunami warning
Example of a tsunami warning on Google Maps
If you click “
詳細
” (More info) right under the alert, you’ll see more details about the announcement, including the full description from the
Japan Meteorological Agency
, a link to their site, and other useful information like observed arrival times and wave heights for tsunamis.
Example of how a tsunami alert would work in Fukushima
And when you open Google Now on your Android device, recommended actions and information will be tailored to where you are. For example, if you happen to be in Tokyo at a time when a tsunami alert is issued, Google Now will show you a card containing information about the tsunami alert, as well as any available evacuation instructions:
Example of a tsunami warning card on Google Now
We’re able to provide Public Alerts in Japan thanks to the Japan Meteorological Agency, whose publication of data enables Google and others to make critical and life-saving information more widely available.
We hope our technology, including Public Alerts, will help people better prepare for future crises and create more far-reaching support for crisis recovery. This is why in Japan, Google has newly partnered with 14 Japanese prefectures and cities, including seven from the Tōhoku region, to make their government data available online and more easily accessible to users, both during a time of crisis and after. The devastating
Tōhoku Earthquake
struck Japan only two years ago, and the region is still slowly recovering from the tragedy.
We look forward to expanding Google Public Alerts to more countries and working with more warning providers soon. We also encourage potential partners to read our
FAQ
and to consider putting data in an open format, such as the Common Alerting Protocol. To learn more about Public Alerts, visit our
Public Alerts homepage
.
Post content
Posted by Yu Chen, Partner Technology Manager
Expanding Street View in Europe
March 7, 2013
Today we’re announcing a major expansion of Street View to make our maps of Europe more comprehensive and usable. For the first time, people all over the world can see Street View imagery of Bulgaria. They’ll also have access to panoramas of almost 200 new towns and cities in Russia, and thousands of miles of refreshed imagery of the UK.
Bulgaria: from the mountains to the beaches
Nestled in the southeastern corner of Europe, Bulgaria is the 48th country for which immersive, street-level imagery is now available on Google Maps. This Bulgarian launch covers not only major economic centers such as
Sofia
,
Plovdiv
and
Varna
, but also historical and beloved towns like
Veliko Turnovo
and
Koprvishtitsa
.
Nessebar is an ancient town and one of the most attractive seaside tourist destinations in Bulgaria
Users around the world can also virtually experience the beautiful ski resorts of
Borovets
,
Bansko
and
Pamporovo
, and the stunning
Architectural and Museum Reserve Tsarevets
that sits on Tsarevets Hill in the old part of of Veliko Tarnovo. And of course, people can check out the
Black Sea coast line
, which is the heart of summer tourism in the country.
The Architectural and Museum Reserve Tsarevets is a popular tourist site in Bulgaria
From Russia with love
Last February, the first Street View images of Moscow and Saint Petersburg – the major cultural and economic centers in Russia – became available on Google Maps. Now we’re thrilled to add Street View images of nearly 200 more Russian cities to Google Maps. Get familiar with
Sochi
, the venue for the 2014 Winter Olympics, or learn more about Buddhist culture by visiting the
Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni
, the largest Buddhist temple in the Republic of Kalmykia.
The Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni is a popular Russian Buddhist destination
Sochi: Enjoy the sea and the mountains in one place
Mind the gap
In the UK we’re refreshing some imagery in major cities like London, Manchester, Glasgow and Cardiff, as well as filling in some of the gaps where we had no Street View coverage. For example, we’ve added brand new images to parts of the Scottish coastline, in pockets of East Anglia and parts of South Wales.
We hope this new and updated imagery makes it easier than ever to explore Europe, and we look forward to more additions in the future. And you can also check out Street View on your mobile device with the Google Maps app for
Android
and
iPhone
.
Post content
Posted by Ulf Spitzer, Street View Program Manager
Updating Google Maps for iPhone with faster local search, new ways to find friends, and more countries
March 5, 2013
Today, we’re releasing an
update for Google Maps for iPhone
with new search icons that make finding local places faster and easier, and with integration of your Google Contacts to make it simple to find your friends.
This update is part of our goal to make Google Maps comprehensive, accurate and useful – wherever you may be in the world. To that end, we’re rolling out the English version of the app in seven new countries: Bahrain, Egypt, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. You can also choose between kilometers and miles in the settings menu, depending on your preferences.
For faster local search, you can tap one of the new icons for restaurants, coffee shops, bars and other types of places to quickly see nearby haunts. So if you’re in a rush and need a quick coffee, just tap the search box, then the coffee cup icon, to see the cafes closest to you.
Your Google Contacts are now integrated into Google Maps for iPhone – meaning that when you’re signed-in and search for a friend’s name, their address will appear as a suggestion (if you have their address saved). Simply tap their name to see the address, which will be visible only to you, on the map. To learn an easy way to keep your Google Contacts synced with your iPhone,
click here
.
We hope you enjoy these updates! Visit the
App Store
today to download the latest Google Maps for iPhone app. Please note some of the features mentioned in this post aren’t available in all countries.
Posted by Salahuddin Choudhary, Product Manager, Google Maps
Through the tunnel and onto the field...see inside the Indianapolis Colts stadium on Google Maps
February 15, 2013
The Super Bowl is over, the lockers are cleared out and the players have gone home, but passionate football fans across the U.S. are already counting the days (202 to be exact!) until the 2013 kickoff of the National Football League (NFL). What will we do with our Sundays for the next 6 months?!
To fill the football void, you can turn to
Google Maps
. Where, starting today, you can take a VIP, 360-degree interactive photo tour of
Lucas Oil Stadium
, home of the Indianapolis Colts. This is the first imagery of inside an NFL stadium in Google Maps, and another example of how we’re working hard (and having fun!) building the most comprehensive, accurate and usable map of the world -- complete with imagery from inside your favorite sporting venues.
View Larger Map
The large Colts helmet at mid-field is a key focal point for all Colts fans
With this new interactive, 360 degree imagery, you can
march out of the tunnel and down the field towards the end zone
, just like Andrew Luck did all season. Or check out the
Colts’ locker room
where
Head Coach Chuck Pagano gave his memorable post-game locker room speech
on November 4, after an inspirational win against the Miami Dolphins. You can also explore the stadium’s three concourses and suites, including the
Quarterback Suite
, a Field Level Suite and
Loge-Level Suite
.
View Larger Map
The official locker room of the Indianapolis Colts
Together with the Colts and Lucas Oil Stadium, we’re thrilled to give you, the fans, a behind-the-scenes look at the home of the Colts, and enable anyone to “visit” the stadium from wherever they may be.
Check out the stadium images by searching for “Lucas Oil Stadium” or “Colts Stadium” in Google Maps on your browser,
Android
or
iPhone app
or visit the
Street View Gallery
. And be sure to check out
Colts.com
for more details.
Posted by Evan Rapoport, Product Manager, Google Maps
Ski Resorts now on Google Maps
February 6, 2013
You just stepped out of the gondola into a strong wind at the peak. It’s cold and you’re weighing whether to drop into that powdery black diamond chute you’ve always dreamt of...or sliding down the nearest blue for hot cider at the base.
With
38 new run and lift maps
for some of the most popular mountains across the US and Canada, Google Maps is your “go to” mountain guide. Whether you’re shredding
Squaw Valley
,
Big Sky
, or
Okemo
, Google Maps are a comprehensive, accurate and easy way to find the best route down the hill.
Power up Google Maps on your
Android
device or
iPhone
, and the mountain information you need is right there. Blue, green and black runs are shown as solid colored lines and ski lifts are red dotted lines.
Lake Louise Resort
on Android and
Whistler Blackcomb Resort
on iPhone
Ski resorts in Google Maps can also be helpful when you’re gearing up for a trip. You can check out the maps on your laptop browser to plot your course, and even get a
Street View preview of a few select slopes
before you head up the mountain.
Map of
Squaw Valley
near Lake Tahoe in California
The growing list of mountain maps now available in Google Maps is here:
Alpine Meadows
- CA
Alyeska Resort
- AK
Aspen Highlands
- CO
Aspen Mountain
- CO
Attitash Mountain Resort
- NH
Big Sky Resort
- MT
Big White Ski Resort
- BC
Breckenridge Ski Resort
- CO
Brighton
- UT
Buttermilk
- CO
Copper Mountain
- CO
Crested Butte Mountain Resort
- CO
Deer Valley Resort
- UT
Granite Gorge
- NH
Heavenly Mountain Resort
- CA
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
- WY
Lake Louise Ski Area
- AB
Mammoth Mountain
- CA
Mount Bachelor
- OR
Mount Shasta
- CA
Okemo Mountain
Resort
- VT
Panorama Mountain Village
- BC
Park City Mountain Resort
- UT
Revelstoke Mountain Resort
- BC
Schweitzer Mountain Resort
- ID
Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort
- CA
Snowbasin
- UT
Snowmass
- CO
Squaw Valley
- CA
Steamboat Ski Resort
- CO
Stowe Mountain Resort
- VT
Sugar Bowl Resort
- CA
Sun Valley Resort
- ID
Telluride Ski Resort
- CO
Vail Mountain
- CO
Whistler Blackcomb
- BC
Wildcat Mountain
- NH
Winter Park Resort
- CO
We hope you’ll use these maps to discover new trails and find your way around the mountain more quickly and easily. We’ve got more ski resort maps on the way, so be sure to check Google Maps before your next trip. See you out there!
Posted by Ryan Poscharsky, Strategic Partner Manager, Google Maps
Labels
#streetview
#treasuremap
+1
3D
8bitmaps
Adwords Express
Africa
Amazon
Andorra
Android
api
Art Project
Audi
biking
Boost
Boulder
Brazil
Bulgaria
Business Photos
Business View
businesses
Canada
check-in
community
competition
contest
crisis response
Culture
custom maps
developer
Developers
directions
disaster response
discovery
earth outreach
education
Emmy Awards
Enterprise
Estonia
Europe
Explore
Fusion Tables
gadgets
Gibraltar
GMM
google
Google Earth
Google Earth Engine
Google Map Maker
Google Maps
Google Maps API
Google Maps Engine
Google Maps for Mobile
Google Maps Gallery
Google Maps Navigation
Google Maps Transit
Google Places
Google Plus
Google Search
Google Street View
google.org
Google+
googlenew
Grand Canyon
ground truth
Halloween
historical
history
holiday
Hotpot
Hungary
imager
imagery
Indoor Maps
iOS
iPhone
Iraq
Japan
Latitude
Latvia
layers
LBC
Lithuania
London
Making of Maps
Malaysia
Mall of America
Map Maker
Maps Blog
Maps Gallery
mapsgl
Matt Harding
Mexico
Mobile
Monticello
My Maps
my places
my tracks
National Geographic
navigation
new Google Maps
oblique imagery
ocean
offline maps
Olympics
Outreach
Pakistan
Panoramio
Parks Canada
Pegman
Photo Spheres
photo tours
photos
picasa
Polar Bears
Quiz
real estate
restaurants
road trips
Russia
Santa
Santa Tracker
search stories
SketchUp
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Sudan
space
Spain
sports
Street View
summer
SXSW
Tags
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson Foundation
Tip of the week
tips
tour guide
traffic
Train
Transit
travel
trees
Trekker
Trike
Trolley
U.S. National Park Service
Ukraine
University of Virginia
Valentine's Day
Veterans Day
Views
voice search
walking
Waze
weather
webgl
Your Timeline
zagat
Archive
2016
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2015
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2014
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2013
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2012
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2011
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2010
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2009
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2008
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2007
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Feed
Google
on
Follow @googlemaps
Follow
Give us feedback in our
Product Forums
.
Follow
