When spring comes and flowers bloom, be sure to tighten these safety "strings" →

As spring approaches and the temperature gradually rises, many people start to choose outdoor activities such as hiking and mountain climbing. Climbing mountains to overlook and get close to nature is certainly a happy thing, but there are also frequent incidents of falls, falls off cliffs, and frostbite due to tourists' lack of safety awareness. When climbing outdoors, you must tighten the "string" of safety.

01. Be prepared before climbing

Compared with cities, the wild mountain environment is complex and changeable.

In early spring, the climate in mountainous areas is warm and cold, and strong winds and cooling temperatures often occur.

The spring melting of ice and snow is also a peak period for freeze-thaw geological disasters such as landslides and collapses, as well as a peak period for forest fires.

Therefore, we must make adequate preparations to minimize the probability of encountering danger.

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· Confirm your physical condition . Before climbing, you should first objectively evaluate your physical condition and confirm that you are in good physical condition and have no diseases that are unsuitable for climbing.

Understand the weather conditions . Check the weather forecast in time. Although the city is already in full bloom in early spring, the temperature in most mountainous areas is still very low, and some mountainous areas may even have rain and snow. Therefore, you must understand the weather conditions in the area before hiking, and do not hike in bad weather.

· Try to choose a formal scenic spot . Do not enter the mountains without a guide, and do not venture into unopened or undeveloped mountain areas or closed management areas. Many of the "wild attractions" that are popular on the Internet are undeveloped scenic spots. Going to these places rashly is very likely to cause casualties.

· Plan your route well . Before climbing, you should learn about the mountain road conditions, climbing difficulty, walking distance, climbing altitude, dangerous areas, expected activity duration, etc., and plan the routes for going up and down the mountain and the alternative retreat routes in advance.

· Prepare supplies . Choose hiking shoes of appropriate hardness, loose and comfortable clothes, maps, compasses, mobile phones (power banks or mobile power banks), flashlights, ropes, food, first aid medicines, raincoats, anti-allergy drugs (to avoid spring pollen allergies), etc.

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02 Other things to note when climbing

Go up the mountain in the morning or in the morning, and go down the mountain in the afternoon.

Travel in groups so you can look out for each other.

Do not camp, rest or stay for a long time under dangerous rock or earth cliffs where there is a risk of collapse or rockfall.

Pay attention to environmental changes, add or remove clothes as appropriate, and keep warm to prevent hypothermia.

Do not walk to see the scenery, do not walk to see the scenery, do not cross the safety guardrail when taking pictures, always pay attention to the road conditions, and avoid stepping into the karst cracks and holes on the ground to prevent spraining your ankle. Do not approach cliffs, tiankengs, sinkholes, and pits without guardrails.

When camping, you must take safety precautions and stay away from forest fire prevention areas, rivers, areas prone to geological disasters, and drinking water source protection areas.

When encountering areas with dense vegetation, piles of leaves, and other flammable materials, clear a safe area of ​​at least 10 square meters around the site. If you must use a fire source, it is best to use it in a sheltered area in a valley, and after use, be sure to wait until the fire source is extinguished and the ashes are buried before leaving.

In case of strong winds, cold weather or snowstorms, you should immediately build a shelter and rest in a place away from the wind and rain.

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03 What should you do if you get lost and trapped in the mountains ?

·First of all, you must stay calm and carefully analyze the surrounding environment and your own situation to determine whether you can solve the accident. If possible, leave the dangerous situation as soon as possible to prevent the accident from happening again. If you are sprained or fell, you should bandage and take medicine in time to reduce the damage, and find a safe place to rest.

Seek help from the outside as soon as possible. If there is a usable communication device, call 110/119 or the local relevant units for help. If not, use lights, mirrors or luminous objects to send out signals, or use available materials in an open space to display a rescue signal or sign.

If you are trapped, try to stay in a place with obvious landmarks and wait for rescue. Use existing equipment to determine your location. If there is no equipment, you can determine your relative position based on surrounding hills, rivers, trees and other reference points to facilitate rescue personnel to find you.

After making contact with the rescue team, provide as much specific information as possible, including your approximate location, route forward, visible landmarks, your relative position to the landmarks, contact information, current physical condition, signal conventions, etc.

Author: Liu Hanbin, PhD in Geology, Senior Engineer

Reviewer: Ma Zhifei, senior geological engineer, member of the Geological Society of China, winner of the Natural Resources Excellent Science Book Award

Produced by: Science Popularization China