Most often, tourists who stray from their group get lost in the mountains.
Why do people get lost?
As BBC notes, most often in the mountains, tourists who stray from their group get lost; reckless novices are rare in the mountains. The vast majority are prepared, tanned people in sturdy boots, waterproof clothing, and tightly packed backpacks. But experience is not always a guarantee against unforeseen situations. Those lost in Azerbaijan, for example, are far from beginners: they are members of an extreme sports club.
Confident tourists more often stray from the group and leave their companions on the trail. As a result, solo hikers account for 72% of all search and rescue operations, according to the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council, an organization with a half-century history. Its experts identified eight most common reasons why people deviate from the route and get lost in the mountains.
More than a million people hike in the mountains in New Zealand each year. It is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. But every 200th tourist gets injured, and every 2000th gets lost and requires rescue. They lose concentration, overestimate their abilities, try to take a shortcut or bypass an obstacle, lose their companions, turn the wrong way, leave the trail in search of water or a good photo.
What to do if you get lost
Broadly speaking, there are three options: move, wait, or call for help. "The main thing is not to panic," recommends the Mountaineering Council of Scotland. "Don't rush in all directions; it's better to stop, assess the situation, and try to gather as much information as possible about your location."
Scottish hills and mountains are popular with tourists and climbers, and the weather there is so capricious that the risk of losing the way is always present. If this happens, the Scots advise acting in three stages.
1. Determine where you are. To do this, you will have to remember how far and in which direction you moved from the last noticeable landmark: a peak, a fork, a stream, or the edge of a forest. What did you pass along the way, what does the terrain around you look like? Then check with the map. The task is easier if you have a satellite navigation device.
2. Determine a plan of action and follow it clearly. Decide which nearest point you are heading to and estimate how long it will take. Along the way, check on the map whether the terrain and landmarks match your expectations. If not, go back and start over. If everything matches, you are on the right track.
3. As darkness approaches, it is better to stop wandering and try to organize an overnight stay, and resume searching for the route when it gets light and the weather clears.
When only you are lost and your companions are somewhere nearby, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations advises shouting. "But shouting for a long time is pointless," the rescuers' memo says. It is worth trying to catch up with the group.
At the same time, as the memo advises, under no circumstances leave the road or try to shorten the path by cutting corners; if you reach a fork and do not know where the group went, stop and wait.
If your companions are familiar with the Ministry's recommendations, they will stop as soon as they notice you have fallen behind and try to call you loudly, then split into two groups: one will go searching strictly along the route taken, the other will organize a rest stop.
How to avoid trouble
The main thing is planning and preparation. The British Mountaineering Council states that most problems in mountain hikes can be avoided by following three simple rules:
• prepare well;
• take a flashlight;
• start early.
British experts remind that going into the mountains without a map, compass, warm clothing, and water is madness. And they suggest bringing a fully charged mobile phone, a whistle, and if available, a satellite navigator.
Before setting out, you need to study the route, check the weather forecast, and have a clear plan – when and where you intend to go and when to return. And it is desirable that not only your companions but also someone else – friends, relatives, the mountain hut owner, guide association, or local authorities – are aware of it.
In winter, however, you should only go for a walk in the hills or mountains if you are perfectly oriented in the area in summer, warns the British Mountaineering Council. "The wind can be strong enough to blow you off a ridge or cliff edge. Days are short, and it is difficult to navigate. Where in summer you would manage to stop at the edge of a precipice, in winter the wind may have blown a snow cornice – and it will be too late," the British warn.