Hearing, smelling and seeing civilisation: roads, bells, smoke and lights

Roads, railways, bells, dogs and machines make sounds that reach far beyond their source. In densely populated countries such as Austria and Germany you are rarely so far from a road that you could not hear its hum on a quiet evening. Smoke, farm smells and exhaust fumes also carry far, and at night artificial light can be seen over great distances.

But sound does not always travel straight. Slopes, rock faces and forest edges throw it back like a ball, which is why you hear echoes in valleys. Wind carries sound with it: with the wind you hear further, against the wind less well. During a temperature inversion – cold air lying on the ground with warmer air above, typical on clear nights and in the morning – sound is bent back towards the ground and can be heard unusually far away.

Smells always come with the wind. The source of a smell therefore lies on the side the wind is blowing from. Light, on the other hand, travels straight – a light at night shows the direction more precisely than any sound, but says little about the distance.

Silence is everything. Stand still, everyone in the group falls silent, hoods and hats away from the ears. Cup your hands behind your ears – that amplifies sounds from the front – and turn slowly once in a full circle. Listen for several minutes, because some sounds such as a train or bells only come now and then. Good times are early morning, evening and calm moments.

Check the direction at two or three places, ideally on an open hilltop or at a forest edge. If a sound comes equally from everywhere, or its direction jumps depending on where you stand, it is being reflected. A soft, steady hum is often a road; individual loud vehicles confirm it. A loud stream nearby can drown everything out – then move a little away from it.

Lay every direction you find on the ground with two sticks straight away. At night you take a line on a light this way and walk in that direction in the morning. By day also look out for human traces: forestry roads, fences, logging areas, signposts. Forestry roads and paths lead to settlements – power lines, on the other hand, often run straight over steep slopes.

Walking towards a light through the forest at night is dangerous. Between you and the light there may be drop-offs, streams and rock steps you cannot see in the dark, and a light often seems closer than it is. Remember the direction and only go in daylight.

A sound is never on its own a reason to go into steep or unknown terrain. Echoes can lure you in the wrong direction. Apply the STOP rule first: if someone knows where you are, it is better to stay at a visible place and draw attention to yourself. With phone signal, call 112.

Listening, smelling and looking are always worthwhile when you are lost – they cost nothing and take only minutes. They work especially well in uplands and pre-Alps with roads and villages nearby, on calm mornings and evenings, and on clear nights when lights can be seen from far away.

In strong wind, rain or next to a loud stream you hear little. In deep, narrow valleys echoes are so strong that the direction can hardly be determined. And in large wilderness areas there may be no civilisation within earshot at all – then other methods and staying put matter more.

Hearing works both ways. Search teams often call names or whistle. Answer with a signal whistle: three blasts, pause, three blasts. A whistle carries further than your voice and costs far less effort.

Practise on hikes: stand still in one spot, close your eyes and count how many human sounds you hear and where they come from. Then check on the map. That way you learn how far a road can be heard in your area and how valleys distort sound.