Safety In The Mountains

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30937, 18 December 1965, Page 18

Safety In The Mountains

[By Inspector L. D. Bridge, New Zealand Police Search and Rescue officer.] There has been a tremendous increase in recent years in the number of young men and women who seek recreation in forest, hills and mountains. This is a splendid thing, apart from the pleasure of seeing lovely places and pitting one’s skill against the difficulties of terrain or bush. Enterprise, fortitude and selfreliance are attributes gained on tramping and climbing expeditions perhaps to a greater degree than in any other outdoor activity. The extent to which mountaincraft and bush skill can be made to contribute to health, education, and char-acter-building is beir,g recognised increasingly by schools. Boys’ Brigades, Crusader groups, Bible classes, and other youth organisations. In this field, the Scout and Guide associations have worked for many years, and Outward Bound and the Duke of Edinburgh Award are now also well established in their leadership training schemes. As a result of this growing interest and activity, the number of people visiting national parks has increased by a third each succeeding year. No doubt, the number visiting forest parks and other mountain areas has similarly increased. Over-all, this is most gratifying. MORE MISHAPS Unfortunately, this move to visit other places and new scenes, especially forest and mountain areas, has not been accompanied by a like appreciation of possible dangers for the unwary. The number of mishaps has increased markedly. Many have led to injury or death, and the need

for search and rescue action has increased. Perhaps it is inevitable in activities such as mountaineering and tramping, where the application of skill and experience is essential to overcome natural hazards, that occasional accidents will occur Without the challenge to overcome difficulties, the appeal would diminish. Nevertheless, a review of search and rescue operations in mountains, hills, and bush country shows that at least 90 per cent were avoidable. Particularly depressing are those reports of recent accidents involving young people—some in organised groups—who were indifferently prepared or led. FREQUENT MISTAKES Mishaps have occurred because: People tried to do things entirely beyond their skill and competence; They were ill-equipped for the journey or expedition; Their experience was so limited they failed to recognise problems brought on by snow, icing and weather conditions. This lovely land of ours, which has so much to offer the lover of the outdoors, unfortunately has. to the layman, an unpredictable climate where changes are frequent and conditions may vary from hour to hour. Some have never learned that it is frequently more pru-

dent to turn back. The incidence of death from exposure is very high—mute testimony to human limitation in adverse conditions. 1 believe a great deal will be achieved by the mountain safety campaign. The threepronged approach toward teaching safe practices in bush and mountains will have a lasting effect. Planning will involve:

Training courses for leaders; Adequate publicity to emphasise problems and hazards; Training for everyone in safe, approved techniques through films and the written word.

The positive action of encouraging people to enjoy their recreation safely can only be commended.