Privacy Policy
Last updated: 11 October 2026
Ascend Climbing ("Ascend", "we", "us") provides climbing route-discovery apps and a companion website. This policy explains what we collect, why, and the choices you have. It applies to ascendrocks.com and the Ascend mobile apps.
1. What we collect
Account data
When you create an account we store your email address, display name, and authentication identifiers, together with profile information you choose to add, such as a handle or bio. Some profile information and your published contributions are visible to other climbers.
Sign in with Google
If you choose Sign in with Google, Google shares your Google account identifier, email address and email-verification status, and basic profile information such as your name and profile picture where available. Our authentication provider, Supabase, processes this information and stores the identity information associated with your Ascend account. We use it to authenticate you, create or recover your account, and associate your Projects and membership with that account across Ascend platforms. We do not receive your Google password or request access to your Gmail messages, Google Drive files, contacts or calendar.
Google sign-in information is used for these account functions, security and support. It is not sold, used for advertising, or passed to analytics as your email, name or profile picture. Service providers may process it only as needed to operate and support Ascend. You can stop using Google sign-in by removing Ascend from your Google Account connections. Removing that connection does not itself delete information already stored by Ascend; use the account-deletion control or contact us to request deletion.
Other sign-in methods
Apple sign-in supplies an account identifier and the email or private-relay address you choose to share; Apple may also supply your name on first sign-in. Email sign-in uses your email address and authentication codes or credentials processed by Supabase.
Usage data
Our hosting provider processes IP addresses and request information to deliver the website and protect it from abuse. Cloudflare provides an approximate country to select USD or INR pricing; you can change that selection. To run the metered free-route allowance we store a signed browser identifier in a cookie and a keyed hash of your IP address. Signed-in account history also helps enforce the three-guide allowance across browser and network changes. Shared networks share the IP allowance. The fixed allowance window lasts 30 days.
Authentication cookies keep you signed in. Browser storage also remembers preferences and pending sign-in navigation. When you tap “Near me,” your browser asks for permission to use your location for nearby discovery. You can decline and search manually instead.
Product analytics
Ascend uses Google Firebase Analytics and GA4 across iOS, Android and the website to measure navigation, authentication outcomes, climbing actions and synchronization reliability. Analytics is enabled by default. After sign-in we associate future events with your Supabase account UUID so we can compare use across platforms. Anonymous events use an installation or browser identifier; assigning an account ID does not retroactively identify earlier events.
Our approved event fields exclude emails, names, handles, authentication tokens, free-text notes, photos and private walk coordinates. We disable advertising identifier collection, advertising personalization and Google signals integrations. Google receives the approved event data as our analytics processor. Account deletion also queues a GA4 user-deletion request; failures are retained for retry and Google processes accepted requests asynchronously.
Content you create
Climbs you log, routes you submit, photos, reviews and saved routes ("Projects"). Published route information may be reviewed or updated.
Optional walk recording in the mobile apps
Setters and admins can choose to record their location across days, including in the background with Always location access. Full walk coordinates and recording times stay private on the phone for 30 days and are excluded from cloud backups. Expired samples are removed when the app next runs or maintains an active recording. Recording can be paused or turned off on Home, and individual days or all history can be deleted.
Selecting a section copies only its coordinates into a draft. Publishing a route or saving a region shares that selected path, including the region entrance and boundary where applicable. The unselected walk and its recording times are not uploaded. Copied sections remain after the original history expires. Signing out stops recording and retains that account's local history on the phone.
Payment data
Website payments are processed by Stripe. Existing purchases through mobile stores or legacy providers are managed through their original provider. We never see or store your full card or UPI details — only a subscription status, plan, and transaction references returned by the processor.
2. How we use it
- To provide the service: your account, route catalog, saved list and subscription entitlements.
- To enforce the free-route meter and prevent abuse and scraping.
- To send transactional email (confirmation, receipts, renewal and security notices) and, if you opt in, product updates.
- To understand aggregate usage and improve the product (analytics).
3. Sharing
Providers that help operate Ascend include Supabase (authentication, database and file storage), Cloudflare (website hosting, network delivery and security), Google Firebase Analytics / GA4 (product analytics), Stripe (website payments), RevenueCat (membership entitlements), the relevant mobile store and providers that deliver account messages. They receive the information needed for their role. Provider processing may take place outside your country. Published profile and community content can be seen by other users. We may also disclose information where required by law or to investigate abuse and protect the service. We do not sell personal data or share Google sign-in information with advertisers.
4. Your choices & rights
You can edit your profile and delete your account from the You / account page. For a copy of your personal data, corrections you cannot make yourself, or help with deletion, email alexander@ludicrousdesigns.com. You can unsubscribe from marketing messages and manage browser location and cookie permissions. Additional privacy rights depend on the laws that apply to you.
5. Data retention & security
We retain account identity information, including Google sign-in information, while your account is active so that you can sign in and recover your account. Deleting your account removes its authentication identity, profile, saved Projects and personal activity records; published route and location contributions are anonymized so community guides can remain available. Account deletion also queues the analytics-deletion request described above. Removing Google authorization alone does not perform this account deletion.
The guide allowance uses a fixed 30-day window beginning with the first successful preview. Expired meter records are removed by scheduled cleanup or when the identity is next checked. Payment providers may retain transaction records under their own legal obligations. Backups, security logs and records needed to comply with law or resolve disputes may remain after active account data is removed. Contact us for help with a particular record.
We use HTTPS, access controls and server-side authorization to protect account information. Access is limited to service operations, support, security and legal needs. No system can guarantee absolute security.
6. Children
Ascend is not directed at children under 13 (or the minimum age in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect their data.
7. Contact
For privacy questions or requests, contact Ascend Climbing at alexander@ludicrousdesigns.com. If this policy changes, we will update the date above and communicate material changes through the service where appropriate.