Why hikers need information skills

In the back country, knowledge isn't just power, it might be the thing that gets you home safely.

Every so often there's a news story that go something like this:

A group of hikers takes what they think is an 'easy' route in the mountains but have completely misread or underestimated the weather conditions, have ignored advice about gear to carry and are wearing completely the wrong clothing, have overestimated their ability to get back to civilisation and to find their way in challenging conditions... you get the idea. Sometimes the story ends well: they found mobile signal and managed to contact someone, the weather was good enough or access was easy enough that they were rescued before hypothermia claimed them. Often, though, they don't get that lucky.

During the recent storms that hit the UK a similar story emerged of four hikers needing to be airlifted off of Ben Nevis, and their level of unpreparedness was, I'll admit, very aggravating to me. Not only is it irresponsible to their own safety and their families and friends, it endangers the lives of mountain rescue workers every time they get called out, particularly in bad weather conditions. I don't want to dwell on this specific story, though. Instead I want to talk about how information skills help with preparation for hiking and other outdoor adventures, and could make the difference between a successful trip and a search and rescue mission.

For me, day hiking, backpacking and thru hiking are amazing and fun. I love the feeling of freedom walking out of civilisation, carrying only what I need my back, and I'm not the only one. Instagram is full of photos of people in cute outfits doing yoga on mountain tops at sunset and other such images. It makes the outdoors seem glamorous and aspirational so that more and more people are getting inspired to go out into the back country. But looking at a geotagged Instagram post doesn't count as research, and too many people are either hurting themselves or the natural environments they're visiting through simple lack of knowledge. The following is a short primer to what you should know before you go out hiking. It doesn't have to feel like a chore. I actually love hiking prep: it's a chance to get excited about where you're going and, most importantly, it's a way to make sure you can get back to civilisation on your own and not in a Mountain Rescue helicopter.

Where and when to go

The route that the four hikers took on Ben Nevis is known as "the tourist route". Sounds easy, right? This might explain why three of the four were wearing normal trainers rather than trail shoes or boots when they were found on an icy slope. Underestimating a hiking route is one of the quickest ways to get yourself into danger. When choosing a route, don't just pick the one that has the epic selfie spot at the end. Have a look at the length, the terrain, the elevation profile, whether there are water sources, or indeed potentially dangerous water crossings, to see how long it might take you. You should have an idea of how far you can walk in an hour on a flat surface, then factor in the difficulty of the terrain to estimate how long you'll need in order to do it. For that reason you should also figure out what time it's going to get dark so you can either plan to be back before sunset or prepare accordingly with a head torch.

Crucially, it's important to know the weather, and not just the weather of the town you're leaving from, but what the weather is going to be like at elevation. Mountain weather is a lot different than the weather closer to sea level. While Storm Ciara was blowing my plant pots around my garden and pelting rain against my windows, there were blizzard conditions on Ben Nevis, which means low visibility, water on the trail turning to ice and hypothermia causing delirium and bad decision-making. Mountain weather can change quickly, too. Even if the forecast is for fine weather, you need to be prepared in case it's not. If the weather looks bad, don't go. The trail will still be there.

Know before you go:

• Elevation profile. Check an elevation profile and/or a topographic map to look for big climbs, scrambling, steep ridge walks and any other features you might not be confident dealing with.
• Reviews of the trail, the more recent the better. Reviews can tell you a bit about the conditions, if any bridges are out, if there are blow-downs, or if the epic view has now been spoiled by a luxury condo going up.
• Weather conditions, including a local mountain weather report if applicable. Plan your clothing, water and sun protection accordingly. Remember, you can still get a sunburn if it's cold, and even if it's overcast!
• Sunrise/sunset time. If you're trying to get a sunset selfie, you'll need to bring a head torch or flashlight of some variety, and if daylight only lasts 7 hours at the moment and you're doing a hike that will take 9, the same advice applies.
• Rules about permits, camping, wildlife precautions (e.g. bear cans / bear boxes) and campfires. Check the website for the park or trail you're planning to hike before you go.
• How long it's likely to take you given the terrain and conditions, including breaks.

What to carry and wear

While I definitely believe that hiking shouldn't be prohibitively expensive, and a lot of specialist gear is bought by people who really don't need the high performance wind and sun proof mountaineering trousers to stroll around Keswick, having decent gear, layers and footwear are all very important to staying safe when hiking. A bit of research will tell you what you need, and you can probably find a lot of it already in your closet.

The importance of preparing for not being able to walk hit me one December when my partner and I went hill walking in the Lake District up a snowy, -12 degree C peak. We were wrapped up just about warm enough, with the chill wind cutting through our thin gloves and biting our ankles between our shoes and water proofs, and then we sat down inside a low wind screen - really just a pile of stones that helps block the wind - to eat our sandwiches. Within about 60 seconds of sitting down I could feel my body temperature start to plummet - not just my extremities, but my whole body started to cool down rapidly. I turned to my partner. "I'm going to hurry up and eat this. I can't sit still for too long." On the way back down the mountain we mused that it's why people bring emergency blankets and bivvy shelters on day hikes. If one of us had twisted an ankle or sprained a knee and had been unable to walk, we'd have had to wait for rescue in those temperatures without any way of keeping warm, possibly long enough for hypothermia to kick in. Don't get me wrong, I don't usually bring one on day hikes because I'm not often in extreme conditions, but I normally have at least one extra layer than what I think I'll need, and always something water proof. The specifics of what goes in your bag depends very much on your experience, where you're going, what the weather's like and how long you'll be there. That's why planning ahead and doing your research is so important.

Know before you go:

• Cotton kills. This dramatic statement reflects the fact that fabrics and clothing that work well in a city can be dangerous in the outdoors. Cotton retains moisture for a long time, so if it gets wet you can risk hypothermia. And just because your trainers have good grip on the tennis court or your local park paths doesn't mean they're the right thing to wear up a mountain.
• What you need and how to use it. Consider the conditions, how long you're staying out and how much food and water you'll need. If you're bringing a first aid kit, compass or ice axe, know how to use them or you may as well not have them.
• The 10 essentials. Yes, even for a day hike.
• How much you can carry for the distance you need to carry it. Let's face it - you can probably leave the hatchet and the speaker system at home and have a better time without the extra weight. The flip side of my first two points is that you might actually need less than you think, or at least there are lighter substitutes than the items you found next to the checkout at your local outdoor outfitter.
• Technology is great, but have a backup plan. Apps like View Ranger, OS Locate and Guthook can help with navigation and give you peace of mind, but be prepared for the time when you drop your phone or it runs out of battery.
• What you'd need to stay warm if you can't get yourself out.

What to do and not do in nature

When you visit the back country, don't think about yourself as a conqueror who's there to "crush" miles or "bag" peaks. You are vulnerable AND the landscapes you're walking through may be vulnerable as well. I was taught as a kid to "take only photos and leave only footprints". I was also taught the Leave No Trace principles (linked below). There was the sense of wanting to leave nature just as you found it that I dearly miss every time I see a banner of toilet paper strewn over the heather or an empty plastic drink bottle on top of a peak in the UK.

Know before you go:

• The Leave No Trace principles and how they apply where you're going. I wish these were taught at school and posted everywhere in the UK. We are so bad at managing and protecting our natural environment here. A note to all female hikers: yes, toilet paper biodegrades, but not instantaneously, and meanwhile other people have to look at it.
• How to react to encounters with the wildlife. 
• How to spot the likely hazards where you'll be hiking. Do you know what an ice sheet and a cornice look like? Do you know how to read avalanche conditions? If not, then stay off the mountains in the snow. Do you know how to free yourself from quicksand? If not, then stay out of boggy areas that might harbour quicksand. River crossings? Scrambling? More often than animal attacks, it's the landscape itself that poses the greatest danger to unwary or inexperienced hikers.

What to share with others 

My dad drilled into me to never hike alone, and after my uncle was seriously injured on a solo hike and luckily was found and airlifted off the trail, I really internalised that. It's still good advice, but not always practical, and not always what you want. I've started enjoying solo hiking and plan on doing more of it. But there are some precautions and preparations you should make, and information you need to pass along to someone you trust.

• Your planned route. Tell at least one person where you're going and what route you plan on taking, even if it's just leaving a note on the dashboard of your car. If you go missing, people will have an idea of where to go looking for you.
• When to expect you back. Tell someone when you think you'll be back, especially for a multi-day or deep back country trip. Tell them that if they don't hear from you within a set window of time to call someone to report you missing.
• Consider not geotagging certain photos. As I talked about in the intro, geotagged photos on Instagram can bring floods of people out to the back country, whether it's the California super bloom or a not-so-secret alpine lake that used to be pristine. I'm all for more people accessing nature, but Instagram posts tend to commodify it and remove the layers of research I've just talked about that help keep people and nature safe.
• Consider using indigenous geotags instead. In the USA, Canada, New Zealand and other places around the globe, some of the lands white people like me hike on were taken from previous inhabitants. There is a growing practice of indigenous land acknowledgement when posting photographs or holding events, not just to say that "these people used to live here" but to really reflect on the ongoing impact of colonialism. There are resources for easily identifying whose land you are on, so it isn't a chore. In fact, it's a way of engaging with the history and management of the land that I find really rewarding.

Learning from your mistakes

I found this on a solo hike of the Hadrian's Wall Path. It reads: "POEM. I'm working on me. It's a project."

You won't always get it right - goodness knows I haven't. But make sure you reflect on what you learned from each trip. Hiking is something you can get better at, not just physically but mentally as well. The more experience you get, the more mistakes you've made, the better prepared you'll be.

I'll leave you with this: getting out into nature can be a wonderful and life-changing experience, but you have to be smart and know your limits. No trail or mountain is worth your life.

That's it for now. Stay curious and stay safe!