WordPress Google Maps GPX Plugin

The elevation profile is done by using Googles Visualisation API. Once the overlay is placed onto the map, the plugin sends our waypoints to a Google maps getElevation() call. The returning elevation profile comes into a Google Visualisation request. This will finally draw our chart.

The sample shows the elevation profiles of a gpx and a kml track. If your track file contains several line segments, they will be shown as one profile.

There are some limitations on Google Maps Elevation API. The elevation call is limited to 256 points, so if your kml or gpx file exceed this, the plugin will thin out the path.

The track length seems to be limited too. I tried a couple of tracks over 10.000 km distance and they returned an "UNKNOWN_ERROR".

Even the Visualisation API isn’t free of limitations, Google permits max. 5 request per post.