Safety Guidelines
Planning Your
Hiking Trip
- Get to know your group
members and understand their teamwork capacity, physical
condition, skills and experience. Don't over-stretch their
ability.
- Be prepared for poor weather
and environmental changes during the hike.
- In estimating the length
of your hike, make allowance for sunrise, sunset, high
tide and low tide, as well as any extra time to deal with
tired group members or other unexpected delays.
Plan in
Place
- Prepare your hiking gear,
and make sure all group members know how to use all the
items properly.
- Provide all those concerned
(parents, teachers or instructors and organizers) and
the contact person with your hiking plan, hiking programme,
route map and personal details of all group members. Notify
all parties concerned promptly of any changes.
Before
Setting Off
- Check your gear, everything
complete and in good working condition.
- Check that all members
are wearing suitable clothes, socks and boots.
- The leader should brief
members about the planned route.
- Every member should know
the route and the nearest rescue stations, such as a police
station, emergency service telephone, location and telephone
number of the nearest country park rangers' station.
- Make sure all group members
are in good physical and mental condition.
- Note the weather. If there
is a thunder warning, typhoon signal Number One or above
- don't tempt fate. Cancel your hike.
During
the Hike
- The group should stay together.
Don't allow any member to lag behind or get too far ahead.
Keep an eye on members' physical, mental and emotional
state. Be aware of each other - and look after each other.
- Maintain a constant speed,
without going too fast or too slow. Generally, it is recommended
to make a day a hike of 15 km or less.
- Stick to regularly maintained
trails. Exploring new routes will put you in danger, or
at least waste time. Don't walk along any natural watercourses.
Mountain torrents after sudden heavy rain are extremely
dangerous.
- To avoid serious dehydration
in hot weather, take frequent breaks around midday - and
drink plenty of water, steadily in small drinks.
- If you are doing activities
or hiking during the night, wear bright coloured clothing
and keep your torch on. On roads, always face oncoming
traffic.
- Remember the route along
the way. At every junction, look back and note the appearance
of the landscape. If necessary, leave a marker - or draw
a simple sketch map of all the turnings. This will help
you retrace your steps if you later become lost.
- Note changes in the weather.
Terminate the trip if the weather suddenly changes for
the worse. Head home or go to the nearest safe place.
Keep calm and avoid hurrying, which may cause an accident.
Tell the contact person immediately when you change the
hiking plan.
- Take heed of all warning
signs along the way. If ever in doubt about any route,
stop immediately. Keep calm and judge carefully how to
proceed.
- Maintain a natural walking
rhythm and pace. Never run downhill. Use extra care on
gravel paths. Never take shortcuts and, if you can, avoid
descending along very steep slopes.
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