Wilderness has paired with the Wanaka Search and Rescue team on a four-part series reviewing basic backcountry skills. Part I looks at river crossings, decision points and PLBs.
The old adage ‘you don’t know what you don’t know’ rings especially true for outdoor skills. Most of us learn our way through the backcountry by experience, picking up tricks from friends, clubs or guides. But we all have gaps in our outdoor knowledge. The problem is, we don’t often realise what those gaps are until we encounter a situation where they’re put to the test. Wilderness has joined with Wanaka SAR, a team of 80 highly-skilled volunteers, to walk us through common mistakes they see people making. In 2014/15, the Wanaka SAR team responded to 54 call-outs, 90 per cent of which occurred between November and March. Those are just the situations they know about; they don’t have any statistics measuring how many people got by on good luck, rather than good management. “Our basic message is that we’re all in favour of people getting into the outdoors, but know what your limitations are and take reasonable precautions,” says Phillip Melchior, former Chairman of LandSAR New Zealand, the umbrella organisation with which Wanaka SAR is affiliated. Hopefully these articles will serve as a refresher course, with a few tips and tricks to help keep you safer while you’re out exploring New Zealand’s stunning landscapes. River crossings River crossings are my weakness: I’ve never received any formal training and the advice I’ve had has often been conflicting. I’m not alone. The New Zealand Mountain Safety Council reports an average of three river-crossing deaths a year. In the braided mouth of the East Matukituki River, four members of the Wanaka SAR team – Bill Day (Chairman), Paul Sutherland, MJ Johnston, and Roy Bailey – have volunteered to walk me through the basics. “The problem with water is that when things go wrong, they go wrong quite quickly and quite badly,” says Bailey. “One cubic metre of water equals one ton of weight. This river we’re crossing today is flowing at a rate of around 10 cubic metres, which is 10 tonnes of weight moving past every second. The force of water is greater than people imagine. Things happen fast and decisions are time critical.” The biggest mistake the Wanaka SAR team sees is people not assessing the river before they cross. “I saw one couple crossing without even taking a pause,” Johnston says. “They weren’t walking together, they were carrying heavy packs, and they took their boots off. Her partner crossed first and was sitting on the bank dusting off his feet, not even paying attention to her. It was everything you shouldn’t do.”What to do
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What to do
“It’s simple: leave yourself enough time to adapt to the conditions,” Bailey says. “ Usually when people get into trouble they’re not thinking ahead. Get advice, leave time to adapt your plans, and walk through the what-ifs before you make a decision.” Location devices The Wanaka SAR team never knows what they’re dealing with when a personal locator beacon is activated. “There are lots of examples of Party B (which has a beacon) coming across Party A (which doesn’t), and activating their beacon on the other’s behalf,” Bailey says. “Most people who activate a beacon usually need our help. It’s only a very few times that they’re cold and wet and want a ride.” With many location devices on the market, and technology changing quickly, the type of location device you choose should suit your needs, but the biggest mistakes the Wanaka SAR team sees are people not carrying a PLB, especially on day-hikes, and not leaving intentions.What to do
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