How-to
How to start a journey
From picking a trail to crossing the finish line, here is what happens when you start a journey in Virtualtrails and how your active trail, what comes next, and achievements fit together.
Step 1
Choose a trail you want to walk
You can browse trails without signing in. When you start one, it becomes your journey: your own progress, achievements, and place to add distance as you go.
- On each trail you can see length, roughly how long people take to finish, and what achievements are along the way.
- If you have already started that trail, you will be taken back to your existing journey instead of starting again.
What to look for
When you're viewing a trail
- Look for the main button to start — it sits with the trail details.
- You will also see achievements and an idea of how long the trail might take.
- If you already began this trail, you will see a way to continue instead.
Step 2
Start straight away or save a trail for later
If you are not on another trail yet, starting one makes it the trail you are actively walking. If you already have an active trail, you can switch to the new one now or keep the new one aside until you are ready.
- Only one trail at a time is the one that receives automatic updates from your fitness apps.
- You might see words like queue or next up in a few places — they all boil down to: keep walking your current trail, or pick which trail you want to focus on next.
What to look for
When you're asked to switch or save for later
- If another trail is already your active one, you will be asked whether to move to this trail now or add it for later.
- On your journeys list you will see labels like which trail you are logging now, which is lined up next, and options to change that order.
On the trail screen there is also a smaller control to add a trail for later next to the main start button.
Step 3
Your active trail is the one that moves forward first
Updates from connected apps and distance you enter by hand usually go to your active trail first. That is why it matters which trail is active: it tells Virtualtrails where your next walk or run should count.
- Your journeys screen makes the active trail easy to spot — it is marked as the one you are logging now.
- Another trail you have started can wait in a next-up spot until you switch to it.
What to look for
Your journeys
- Look for the label that says you are currently logging that trail.
- Next up appears when a trail is set as the one you plan to walk after your current one.
- You can move a different trail to the top of that order when you are ready.
Step 4
Finishing one trail can start the next one for you
When your recorded distance reaches the end of the route, that journey is complete. If it was your active trail, Virtualtrails can start your next trail automatically so your workouts keep attaching to the right place.
- That works for trails you walk alone and for collaborative trails you share with others.
- If you do not have another trail lined up, you simply finish — and you can pick a new trail whenever you like.
What to look for
When a trail is finished
- Finished trails show a clear completed state and the date you finished.
- Trails you have not finished yet stay available to return to.
- The trail that becomes active next is either the one you chose as next up or another recent trail you still have in progress.
Step 5
Each update moves you along and can unlock achievements
Every time you add distance, it adds to your journey. Some parts of a route can count your distance differently, and achievements unlock as you reach certain points along the trail.
- Adjusted distance means the same walk might count for more or less progress on the route, depending on where you are.
- Achievements show up in your journey history as you discover them.
- The journey screen shows how far you have come overall and what you have unlocked.
What to look for
Your journey on the trail
- Near the top you can see how complete you are and your total distance.
- The achievements area shows what you have found so far.
- New distance and new achievements appear together in your journey history.
Step 6
Completing a trail is not the end of your account
Finished journeys stay in your history with their achievements. You can look back, share a completed journey, browse for a new trail, or switch to another trail you already started.
- Completed trails are grouped separately from trails you are still walking.
- You can still read the trail story and share after you finish.
What to look for
What you can do next
- Open your journeys to jump back to a trail you started earlier.
- Browse all trails when you want something new.
- Sharing options appear once a journey is complete.