stele1
stele1 is a stable format for climbing data:
organize an area you know closely into an accessible catalog.
That catalog lives on your computer as a folder.
Whatever you build from it — a guidebook, a website, or folder you share — is your choice.
the editor
The editor runs in your browser.
No account needed; accounts aren't even available.
The editor updates your catalog directly.
No admin approval needed; administrators don't even exist.
The editor covers the whole spec; everything in the spec is editable. Plus some utilities: whole-area map and search, dedicated pages for each route, area, and photo.
the schema & format
The schema is a set of small, intentional choices about how to model climbing.
The format is portable, transparent, and built to outlast any single tool.
what stele1 is for
stele1 is designed for outdoor free climbing. The design intentions start and stop at outdoor free climbing. Utility for gyms, big-walls, indoor competitions, and mountaineering is incidental.
A stele1 catalog covers an area that someone can know well. You can fully know Devils Lake, Shagg Crag, or HP40. A subset of a larger destination can also work well: Joshua Tree Boulders or The New's Endless Wall. A single catalog for a region like Appalachia, the Sierras, or Colorado would be working against the grain.
What you know well is what sets the scope of your catalog.
stele1 as a data layer
The 1 in stele1 is a compatibility commitment. Any stele1 catalog will always load in stele1 tools.
stele1 ships JavaScript and Python libraries, plus a CLI.
The format and libraries are a foundation that won't move, so you can build your own climbing software without rehashing the basics.