MOUNTAIN HIKING Please exercise caution by taking the
following safety tips into
account:
Mountain hiking is not as simple as it would seem to be.
Complete
and informed preparation for your hike is the key to enjoying your
adventure. Should you or the members of your group be mountain-hiking
novices, it is strongly suggested that appoint a well experienced
guide or hiker to accompany you on your trip.
It is compulsory - before you depart on your hike - that you
and
your group fill your relevant details in the Hiking Trail Register,
which is present at every resort and accommodation establishment in
the Drakensberg Area. The Hiking Trail Register is a key component in
determining the departure and arrival dates and times of hikers as
well as the whereabouts in the region. It also serves as a crucial
tool when our emergency services have to mount a search and rescue
operation.
Trails in the Drakensberg are often arduous, sharply
inclined,
rocky and slippery. Hikers should wear the correct walking footwear,
a sturdy boot with a impenetrable ankle piece is highly recommended.
Ankle pieces serve to protect the wearer from an attack from which is
a common snake in the area, which is the puff adder. Puff-adders when
disturbed or provoked usually tend to strike sideways and at a low
angle, invariable latching their fangs onto the lower part of the
hikers leg. Please do not attempt these trails wearing sandals,
street shoes, or smooth soles.
Ensure that you carry a day pack with food, water, first aid
supplies, rain gear, flashlight, cellular phone, trail map, and where
necessary, a users permit.
Peaks, ridges, ledges, shallow overhangs, open spaces and
trees are
all high risk areas for lightning strikes during a storm. Also stay
clear of risk areas in an electrical storm. It is best to seek
shelter under deep overhang where you have a greater chance of being
protected from the elements.
Be sure to consult a weather report for the hours and even
days
ahead of your hike. In mountainous areas, it is quite possible to
move from an area of tropical calm into raging storm in a matter of
mere seconds. Stay alert for changing weather patterns (thunderstorms
for example, can arrive suddenly in the afternoon).
A cold summer rain can be just as dangerous as a chilly wind
storm.
Carry appropriate weatherproof garments, even in summer months.
Failure to heed these warnings can result in a particularly fatal
condition known as Hypothermia.
In wet or wintry weather, trail conditions can be slick,
muddy, and
even treacherous. Some trails, in particularly the higher areas are
known to glaze over with ice. When hiking under these conditions it
is best to be accompanied by well-equipped experts.
All untreated water must be purified. Bacteria and other
contaminants cannot be easily detected. Purify water by boiling it
for 10 minutes, by using purification chemicals, or through use of a
filtering device.
When taking along children, adults must lead and follow their
hiking groups, placing their young children in the middle. Should the
hiking party decide to split up, make plans to rejoin at a
prearranged time and definite place to avoid confusion and the
possibility of after-dark searches for lost hikers.
Hikers with breathing or heart conditions must take into
account
their health conditions. They should be especially cautious of
strenuous activity, bearing in mind that the higher altitudes of the
Drakensberg can exacerbate their impairments.Survival Tips in Emergency Situations:
First and Foremost: Don??t panic. Resolve to remain calm and
rational ?? such behaviour will determine that you exit from your
unpleasant situation with life and limb intact.
Do not attempt to make extensive forays in severe weather
conditions. Rather ??weather it out?? by waiting for the weather to
clear and then moving on.
Please stay on the trail. Make no attempts to leave the
trail.
Inexperienced hikers often look for what seems to be an easier way of
escaping their predicament by wandering off the trail and invariably
find themselves in greater difficulty.
When it is absolutely necessary for someone to go for help,
the
more experienced hiker should be the one who goes. The members of
your group that are left behind, must remain exactly where they are
ensuring that in the case of a search and rescue mission, your
rescuers will be guided back to the very spot where your group was
last seen.
Should a fellow hiker be injured, ensure that member of your
group
is able to reassure and calm the ailing hiker, always accompanying
him and seeing that the injured hiker is adequately attired so that
he/she is always kept warm and has ready access to lots of fluid. The
use of this approach when dealing with a injured hiker can never be
emphasised strongly enough, because in these situations, the sense of
shock is by far the biggest killer.
Heat strokes generally occur in summer and more often when
the core
summer temperature exceeds the regular temperature. When treating a
heat stroke victim, immediately attempt to place them in a shady spot
and/or one that does no receive direct sunlight. Lie the person down
and ensure that they receive plenty of fluids.
When waiting to be rescued, facilitate an easy rescue by
spreading
a piece of brightly coloured clothing over an open area close to
where you are stranded. This piece of brightly coloured clothing will
contrast with the rest of your surrounding landscape and thus make it
easier for your rescuers to find your position from an airborne
rescue vehicle.
KZN is host to highly experienced mountain rescue clubs and
our
supplementary search and rescue agencies are rated amongst the best
in the world.
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