Bad weather, difficult terrain and injuries can create very risky situations in the mountains. The tourist to the mountains must always weigh these risks. Being prepared to think about himself and take responsibility for his own safety is fundamental in the mountains.
The most advanced equipment can never replace common sense, experience and knowledge.
The most basic advice in travelling safely in the mountains is: Never go alone, bring a shovel and wind sack in the winter, write a trip itinerary, follow marked trails and listen to weather reports.
Mountain rescue
Each police district with mountains in its jurisdiction has a mountain rescue organisation, which includes police officers and the local population who are used to the mountains, totalling approximately 350 people.
The contributions of mountain rescue are not only about finding lost skiers and hikers. At least just as often, they head out to bring home a person who has become injured or sick.
Mountain rescue is reached directly via the emergency telephones in many places in the mountains and on regular telephones via the emergency number 112.
Emergency telephones
Emergency telephones are in mountain huts, with a few exceptions, which can be found at the respective hut Internet page on this website and in the rest shelters along the trail system. You can get direct contact with the police’s command centre and mountain rescue via telephone.
You can also via telephone if anything has happened. This is good to do even if you become delayed on your tour so that relatives don’t become worried. The police and rescue command will gladly help pass the information on. This possibly means that mountain rescue avoids heading out unnecessarily.
Write a trip itinerary
You should always inform someone of your mountain tour. If you go on a day from a mountain station or a mountain hotel, you can often leave a day tour itinerary there, for which mountain facilities have specific forms.
Those who go on multi-day tours should inform a relative of their route.
A detailed trip itinerary describing the planned route, time plan, who is in the group and equipment facilitate the work of mountain rescue when someone is missing or if a worried relative has contacted them. The usual routine is for the police to first call hotels, mountain stations, and via the emergency telephone huts to check if the person has passed by.
Mountain huts and rest shelters have special guest books in place and where one should sign-in when passing there. This message is not followed up before someone is reported missing.
Writing a trip itinerary shows consideration to oneself and others.
Read more about safety
Wading is a risk
Learn to avoid avalanches
Weather in the mountains
Map and compass
The Mountain Safety Council has heaps of useful information on their website.