Inside a Hiking Planner: Custom OSM Database, Custom Tileset, and Three Measurements That Changed Everything

The author shares technical insights into developing a hiking route planning service. The article focuses on architectural decisions, selecting tools for working with OpenStreetMap (OSM) data, and building a custom tileset. Special attention is given to the optimization process, where the author describes three instances where performance measurements led to unexpected results, forcing a complete rethink of the chosen approach. The article serves as a deep dive into engineering mistakes and lessons learned while building a high-load mapping application. The author emphasizes the importance of critically analyzing test data, which may seem straightforward at first glance but often requires deeper reflection to make the correct architectural decisions.