Hiking safety: telling someone your route, checking weather and what to do if lost

TUREFF• •0

Most hikes are uneventful, and the few that go wrong usually go wrong in the same ways: a later start than planned, a change in the weather, a missed turning, a twisted ankle far from the road. Good habits before and during a walk deal with almost all of them.

Before you go

Tell someone your plan: the route, where you will park, when you expect to finish and when they should raise the alarm if they have not heard from you. Then let them know when you are back.
Check the weather forecast for the hills, not just the nearest town. Mountain forecasts give wind, cloud level and temperature at height, which can be very different from the valley. Look again on the morning of the walk.
Know your daylight: check sunset time and plan to be off the hill well before it. Carry a head torch anyway.
Have an escape route: know where you could leave the path early if needed.
Charge your phone and take a small power bank.

Navigation: map and compass plus phone

Phone apps with offline maps and GPS are excellent, and most walkers now use them. But phones run out of battery, especially in the cold, can be dropped, and can lose signal. Treat the phone as one tool, not the only one.

Download maps for offline use before you leave signal.
Carry a paper map of the area in a waterproof cover, with a compass, and learn the basics: orienting the map, reading contours and taking a simple bearing. A short navigation course or a guided walk is the quickest way to learn.
Keep track as you go: tick off landmarks such as junctions, streams and summits. It is much easier to stay on route than to find it again.
Save your phone battery by using airplane mode and turning the screen brightness down when you are not navigating.

Reading the conditions on the day

Cloud coming down, rising wind or rain earlier than forecast are signs to rethink.
Watch the time against your plan. If you are far behind at the halfway point, you will probably be late at the end too.
Look after the slowest person in the group. The group moves at their pace.

Turning back

The summit is optional; getting home is not. Decide on a turnaround time before you start, and keep to it. Turn back if:

the weather is worse than forecast,
someone is unwell, cold or exhausted,
the path is harder or more exposed than you expected,
you are running out of daylight.

Turning back is a good decision, not a failure. The mountain will still be there another day.

If you are lost

Stop. Do not keep walking in the hope that it becomes familiar.
Stay calm. Have something to eat and drink and put on a warm layer.
Work out where you were last sure of your position, using the map, your phone's location and what you can see.
If you can identify that point with confidence and it is safe to do so, retrace your steps to it.
If not, stay where you are, especially in poor visibility or when daylight is fading. A person who stays put is much easier to find.
Make yourself visible and keep warm: bright clothing, a head torch at night, sheltered ground out of the wind.

Calling for help

Know the emergency number for the country you are in. In much of Europe 112 works, and in the UK you call 999 or 112 and ask for the police, then mountain rescue.
Give your location as precisely as you can: a grid reference, coordinates from your phone, or a description of the nearest landmark.
In some countries, including the UK, you can register your phone in advance for emergency text messaging, which can get through when a call will not. Check what is available where you hike.
Once help is called, stay where you said you would be and keep your phone on, with battery to spare.

Small habits that help

Start early.
Eat and drink regularly; tiredness causes slips.
Carry a whistle; the usual distress signal is six blasts, repeated.
Learn basic first aid.

Have you ever turned back, or been glad you had a map? Share your story or ask a safety question in the comments.