Planning is not only inspiring and fun, but also a necessity to make your trip a safer experience.
Plan your trip and report where you are going
Planning is not only inspiring and fun to do before you set out on a trip, but something that goes on during the trip itself and that ensures a good experience for all participants. Therefore, this is also the content of the first mountain code. Plan your trip and report where you are going.
By planning well, seeking information and mapping possible hazards, we can minimize the chance of something going wrong on a trip. Of course, the scope of planning depends on the type of trip you are going on. The following factors should be included in the planning:
Hiking destination (Where are we going? What do we want to achieve with the trip? What do we want to do along the way?
Tour participants (Who is going on a trip? Level of experience? What considerations do we have to take into account in order for everyone to have a pleasant trip?)
Equipment Needs (What Equipment Do We Need?)
Weather and avalanche forecast (What does the forecast say for our hiking area?)
Map study (Spend plenty of time planning your trip on the map. Where are we going?)
Mobile coverage (Do you have mobile coverage where you are going?)
First aid (Bring what you need for your trip)
Tell someone about your trip (It's always nice to report where you're going)
When planning the trip, it is important to choose trips that are adapted to your own and your tour group's level of experience. If you are on a trip with several people, it is the sum of knowledge and motivation in the group that counts.
Do I – whether I am going on a trip alone, or the group together, have the prerequisites to handle this trip and the situations that may arise? Mountain Code No. 2 is:
Customize the trip according to ability and conditions
Choosing a trip according to ability and conditions is at the core of the safety culture that characterizes both the easy and the steep outdoor life in Norway over the past 50 years. A simple description of the traffic tradition can be: Outdoor recreation is considerate travel in the open nature at your own risk.
Pay attention to weather and avalanche forecasts
Mountain Code no. 3. What are the conditions where you are going? Are we going into avalanche terrain? [link to article on avoiding avalanche terrain]. Do I, and possibly the others in the group – have the shape, the skiing skills and the equipment required for the trip we have heard or read about? Positive response to all this, opening the mountain for you and your friends. Almost anything is possible.
Need a thorough, written trip plan?
To ensure that you think carefully throughout the trip – and both before and during the trip – you can use a planning tool called 3x3, which is recommended by most people who conduct education in outdoor life, and then especially with regard to winter outdoor life and avalanche risk assessments.
