Safety Considerations

Mountains never allow improvisation, even when it comes to a simple walk. On a hiking trip, knowing the basic safety rules is extremely important. Our mountain guides are professional, licensed and are members of the national associations of mountain guides in the country where they reside. The majority of our guides grew up in the region where they now work, and thus they are among the most knowledgeable persons in their region. Regardless of whether you join a group with our mountain guide or you choose a self-guided hike, you must know the basic rules of action in an emergency situation. To be sure our guests are hiking safely, we established internal safety rules and guidelines.

1. Explore Your Itinerary

We recommend exploring your itinerary on the map before leaving for the hike.

MONT Trekking provides its guests with a detailed step-by-step itinerary for each day of the hike, specialized 25:000 paper maps of the area and electronic maps with the possibility of satellite navigation. The detailed itinerary describes all the paths you shall need to take to safely hike from the trailhead to the destination. It provides you with the parameters of each daytime trek - cumulative ascent and descent, distance, and estimated hiking time.

It is very important that you know the itinerary for the day before you leave your hut or hotel in the morning. The main points you shall pay attention to are the intersections with the other trails, the distance, the difference in altitude, the type of terrain / environment (forest, rocky areas, meadows) and the presence of huts / shelters along the route.

2. Check the Weather Forecast

The day before the hike, it is necessary to check the weather forecast and decide at what time you will start the hike, how to equip yourself and how much food and water you need to have with you.

When the weather is hot and sunny, it is necessary to drink a sufficient amount of water to keep your body hydrated. Furthermore, you need to protect your head and eyes from the sun, which is very intensive at high altitudes. We recommend using sunglasses, wearing a cap and applying sunscreen to exposed areas of the skin.

An important detail in a weather forecast in the mountains is the Freezing Level or Zero-degree Isotherm. Based on the highest altitude on your daily route, you can determine whether the temperature at high altitude will be close to 0°C. For example, if the freezing level is at 3,000 meters and your itinerary reaches 2,800 meters, it means you will reach areas where the temperature is close to 0°C. Therefore, precipitation already at an altitude of 2,600 meters can be snow, and in clear weather the trail can become icy in the morning.

If continuous thunderstorms are forecasted for the entire day starting in the morning, please contact MONT Trekking to verify whether it will be safer to change the itinerary.

3. Choose the Right Clothes and Equipment

On a multi-day hiking tour, it is essential to be dressed and equipped properly depending on the expected weather, altitude, terrain, and difficulty of the trails. Your clothes and footwear shall be comfortable to keep you safe in various weather conditions.

The most practical approach is to dress in layers:

• Base layer eliminates sweat from the skin (for example, thermal shirt)

• Midlayer retains body heat (typically, a fleece jacket)

• Outer layer protects you from rain and wind (ig. soft shell)

This approach allows you to adjust clothing according to weather conditions and activity.

Furthermore, you can not miss good hiking boots, water bottle, snacks, sunscreen, first aid kit and a few more must-have items that you can find in our detailed recommendations at Clothing and Gear.

4. Plan Your Daily Itinerary

In the itinerary and instructions we provide you with, you will find an estimated hiking time for each daytime trek. On most routes (Level 3), it is based on a maximum pace of ascent of 300 m per hour and same pace of descent. The estimated hiking time does not include stops for lunch, photography and other possible stops, thus we recommend planning your day carefully depending on your walking pace.

In typical weather conditions, it is optimal to start the hike early in the morning. We recommend starting no later than 8. It will allow you to hike in the morning hours when the sun is not too strong and the probability of rain storms is relatively low. We recommend reaching your destination hut by 17:00. If you are running late, we recommend minimizing the number of stops, and you shall remember to notify the hut custodian directly or via Mont Trekking. In any weather conditions, we recommend avoiding walking when it is already dark.

If you lost the route, we recommend retracing the path backwards until you find a direction sign.

IMPORTANT. Always follow the trails and paths recommended in your itinerary and instructions. While walking, check your phone regularly to check where there is network coverage. It will be useful if you need to make an urgent call.

5. Treat Wildlife with Respect and Be Careful

Mountains are a fragile environment. We must preserve and protect it and, in any case, visit the mountains without leaving a trace.

Take your rubbish down from the mountains to the valleys where you can leave it in trash containers. Do not leave organic waste in the mountains, as it can disturb the diet of animals and birds. Do not collect flowers, fossils and stones - it is forbidden.

The Alps are rich in biodiversity. The most common animals you may observe while hiking are roe deers, camis, foxes and at high altitudes - ibexes. It is recommended not to approach or feed the animals.

You should know how to behave when you encounter bears and snakes, and also if you are bitten by a tick.

Viper

There are common European vipers (adders) in the Alps. They are not aggressive and tend to crawl away when they sense danger. When you see a viper, do not approach it and let it crawl away.

The bite of a common viper is poisonous and requires medical treatment. In the period after the bite and before receiving professional medical assistance, it is advisable to immobilize the affected area with a bandage. It is strongly not recommended to suck out the poison or apply a tourniquet. Symptoms and consequences of a bite significantly depend on the site of the bite and body weight. Children require faster medical attention.

Tick

The tick is an ectoparasite that penetrates the skin reaching the bloodstream. This insect is dangerous as it can transmit severe diseases. In order to prevent ticks from getting on the skin, medical organizations give the following advice:

• wear light clothes

• insert the trousers in the socks

• apply repellents to clothes

• avoid sitting on the grass

It is recommended to examine the skin in search of ticks immediately upon arrival at the premises - hut or hotel. In case of a bite, it is recommended to remove the tick as soon as possible. Removal may require tools such as tweezers. It is extremely important to remove the entire tick which can be hard because the tick’s head easily detaches from its body. The bite area must then be disinfected and checked regularly for the next 30 days.

Bear

Brown bears live in some areas of the Alps, for example in Adamello-Brenta where they were reintroduced in the 1990s. Bears can travel long distances in search of the best habitat, therefore they can be found tens of kilometers from the places where they were reintroduced.

Bears try to avoid human contact, the possibility of which, however, cannot be ruled out. As a large predator, the bear can be dangerous to humans in some circumstances. Experts give the following advice:

• do not leave food or waste on the trail

• signal your presence by making noise or talking loudly while walking

• in case of encounter do not run but move away slowly

6. Worsening Weather Conditions

In the mountains, the weather can change very quickly and often unpredictably.

Rainstorms

Whenever possible, avoid being caught by a rain storm in the mountains.

• Use waterproof clothing.

• When you see a thunderstorm approaching, find a protected place in advance. For your safety, it makes sense to deviate from the route if you are close to a mountain hut or shelter.

• If caught by a rainstorm, find a protected place to wait it out.

• Do not walk on exposed terrain during thunderstorms.

• Stay away from isolated trees.

• Walking in the absence of thunderstorms is possible. Be careful – the rocks and the grass are slippery.

• Consider shortcuts, and use the map to plan them.

• Avoid via ferratas and secured trails. Under no circumstances should you move along such paths in a thunderstorm.

Strong Winds

In typical summer weather conditions, the temperature drops by 6-7 degrees every 1000 meters. Strong winds at high altitude cause the windchill effect. This phenomenon intensifies the perception of coldness in the human body. In case of strong wind it is important to keep the body warm. Heat loss occurs mainly from the head, hands and feet, so they require careful protection.

Fog

Fogs are common in the mountains in any season. Fogs make orientation harder in any circumstances and on any terrain. In case of a dense fog, mountain safety experts recommend making a stop to wait the fog out.

7. Emergency

In the mountains, any person, regardless of the level of training and experience, can find themselves in a difficult situation and need help of the rescue service. It is important to stay calm and not worry.

The first thing to do is to evaluate the situation in the place of the accident and the accident itself, trying to assess the actual and possible dangers. After making sure you are safe, call the rescue service.

Emergency Services in the Alps

Alpine countries set up specialized emergency services to help people in the mountains. In case of an accident one shall contact the emergency service of the country where the accident occurred. Going to the mountains, with a guide or on your own, you must know the phone number of the emergency service.

The emergency number is 112 in all Alpine countries. Your call will be transferred to the nearest emergency station.

If there is no network coverage, you need to move in search of the signal. If you are in a group, it is important not to leave the person in difficulty alone. If there are two of you and one of you is injured, first aid must be given before going to another place to call the emergency service.

How to Act in Case of an Accident in the Mountains

When you call the emergency service you have to provide the following information:

• Identify yourself by providing the identification data and phone number (keep the line free after the call)

• Describe the accident, the number and condition of the injured persons

• Describe the exact location of the accident

• Inform the operator of the type of activity of the group (trekking, via ferrata, climbing, etc.) and the total number of people in the group

• Describe the weather conditions at the place of accident

• Report obstacles to flight with extreme accuracy

8. Alpine Distress Signaling

Audible and Optical Signals

Internationally accepted mountain distress signaling:

• Asking for help. Produce light or sound 6 times during 1 minute. Repeat this signal after 1 minute.

• Response to a request for help. Produce light or sound 3 times during 1 minute. Repeat this signal after 1 minute.

Ground to Air Signaling

In case of an accident in a hardly accessible location, the emergency service dispatches a helicopter with rescuers. You must do the following when a helicopter is approaching:

• Leave only one person close to the injured. All the other persons have to move away from the injured person and from the place where the helicopter is going to land.

• Collect in a backpack all belongings of the injured person and the person that is with the injured.

• Produce the emergency signal "Help! Land here!" (as in the picture).