Planning a route and leaving a trip plan

Planning moves decisions from the field to the desk. At home you can think calmly about which sections are difficult, where you could take a shortcut or bail out, and what you will do if the weather turns. On the way, you then only have to check whether the situation matches the plan – much easier than deciding everything on the spot.

The second part is the plan you leave with someone. It makes sure somebody notices if you do not come back and can tell rescuers where to look. Especially for people out alone, it is often the only way to get help if they can no longer make a call themselves – for example after a fall or with no signal.

Look closely at the route on the map: length, height gain, steep sections, stream crossings, junctions, water sources, huts. Note the key points – places where you have to make a decision or where it gets difficult – and possible escape routes by which you can shorten the trip.

There is no formula for the time needed that fits everyone. Distance, height gain, ground, load, breaks and above all the slowest person in the group determine the pace. Rules of thumb from books or the times on signposts are a guide; over time you learn how your own pace compares. Always plan a generous reserve.

Check the sunset time. In a forest or a deep valley it often gets dark earlier than the clock suggests. And look at the forecast and local warnings again shortly before you set off. If thunderstorms or storms are forecast, adjust the trip or postpone it. In many mountain areas, summer thunderstorms often only build up in the course of the afternoon.

The turnaround time is a time by which you must have reached a particular point. If you are not there by then, you turn back – however close the goal seems. It sounds strict, but it is one of the most effective safety rules there is.

The reason: on the way it is very hard to give up a goal you can almost see. 'Just a bit further' is one of the most common thoughts before an emergency. If you made the decision at home, you do not have to renegotiate it outside against tiredness, ambition and group pressure.

Work the turnaround time out backwards from sunset: how long do you need for the way back, plus a reserve? Remember that you are often more tired on the way back and do not always go faster downhill.

A good trip plan contains: the planned route with start and end point, possible alternatives, names of the participants, important gear (for example whether you carry a bivvy bag or head torch), vehicle and registration plus where it is parked, the planned return time – and very clearly, from when the contact person should call the local emergency number (112 in the EU).

Write the plan down, as a message or a note. A written plan is more reliable than a quick 'We're going to the mountains today', because the contact person can pass it straight to rescuers. If you change the route on the way, report it as soon as you have signal.

Checking in afterwards is just as important as signing out. Anyone who forgets to check in after the trip can trigger a false alarm and set rescuers in motion for nothing.

Planning is worth it for every outdoor outing: the short family hike, the bike ride, the ski tour, the solo walk in the woods. It costs nothing but a little time and prevents many emergencies in advance.

Planning does not replace training, though. Alpine terrain, glaciers or avalanche slopes need knowledge and experience that you do not learn at the kitchen table. And the contact person must be reliable – they need to know what to do and stay reachable.