Hillwalking Safety - Skills

Having the skill to use your equipment correctly is an important hill walking safety aspect. You may have a compass, but can you competently use it when you are on the hill and the weather is closing in? Sometimes it can seem as if it is one of those catch twenty two situations - you don't get the experience with out going out on the hill, but do you go out on the hill if you don't have the experience? Certainly I cringe (and count my lucky stars) when I hear reports of people getting rescued by mountain rescue teams and their statement to the press says "...they were inexperienced and inadequately equipped...".

If you are new to hillwalking, why not contact your national mountaineering council for details of a local hill walking or mountaineering club, where you can you learn important skills in the company of others. For a more professional approach to gaining the skills needed for the hill, there are many companies providing everything from simple weekend training courses to two week long courses for the more serious of you out there.

If you are more interested in finding out what knowledge you need to build your own skills, below are a couple of suggestions. - simply click on the book to find out more.

Hillwalking.org.uk - Mountaincraft and Leadership

Mountaincraft and Leadership

"Mountaincraft and Leadership" by Eric Langmuir is a fully comprehensive guide (or indeed text book)covering subjects as diverse as Access and Conservation, Mountain Weather, Mountain Navigation and First Aid. Fully updated and in it's third edition, some on the hills refer to it as the "Bible of Mountaineering".

Buy Hillwalking from Amazon.co.uk

Hill Walking: The Official Handbook of the Mountain Leader and Walking Group Leader Schemes

Now replacing "Mountaincraft and Leadership" as the course text for the Mountain Leader Training Award (though I think the cover of "Mountaincraft and Leadership" looks a lot funkier!), this book is suitable for new and experienced hill walkers alike.

Buy

The Handbook of Climbing

From Amazon.co.uk...
"This is a climbing handbook, encompassing the history of the sport, the equipment needed, acquisition of skills, rescue, winter and alpine climbing and hillwalking. It describes the principles and methods of movement on rock, snow and ice, and the correct use of equipment and forms of protection. In many cases a variety of relevant techniques are detailed to allow the reader to select the system appropiate to his individual needs. All the techniques of modern climbing are covered, from those required on road-side crags to those needed on the more ambitious ascents of major mountains and faces. The text is accompanied by photographs and drawings."

Buy Navigation for Walkers

Navigation for Walkers


A highly recommended book for mountain navigation.

Picture of a Compass
Skills
What to Wear
Equipment
Route Cards
Links
Countryside Code
Picture of Red First Aid Kit
Top Five Pages

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