Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing or hiking can be great ways to get some fresh air and beat the seasonal blues, but getting a dose of nature in the wintertime comes with added risks that aren’t there in the summer.
Justin Howse, a training director with Foothills Search and Rescue and a winter-certified professional hiking guide, said it's easy for people venturing into the wilderness to be caught off guard by risk factors that come with cold weather and short days.
“Winter’s a bigger deal,” Howse said. “You have a lack of daylight, you can’t go as far as you can in the summer, although people try to, and they don’t carry adequate equipment."
Being able to manage added winter challenges is important for anybody who wants to trek in the wilderness, he said.
“The winter minor incident can turn into a large emergency rather quickly if people are not prepared,” he said.
Slipping, tripping or falling are huge hazards, and hikers should make sure they have adequate traction on their feet to reduce risk of injury by wearing crampons or spikes, he said.
“If you’re already injured, trying to hike out on a snowy trail is horrendous, and you’re probably just going to get more injured and then you’re staying the night,” Howse said.
Problems compound in the winter and frostbite or hypothermia become risks.
Avalanches are another hazard that people don’t always think about, he said.
“A great deal of slopes around the areas where people love to go hiking are big avalanche terrain in the winter,” he said.
AdventureSmart, a national prevention program, focuses on the 3 T’s — trip planning, training and taking the essentials — that are recommended for those who take part in outdoor activities in all seasons.
“If you have the appropriate training, if you have a good trip plan that you've left behind with people that care about you, and if you've got all of these central items, your chances of survival are much, much higher,” Howse said.
Trip planning includes planning your route, being aware of terrain and conditions, and leaving a trip plan with somebody so that searchers will know where to start looking if they need to mount a search.
Training includes having the knowledge and skills that you need and knowing and staying within your abilities.
Taking the essentials includes packing 10 items that are considered the basic survival items for any outdoor situation, according to AventureSmart: flashlight, fire-making kit, signalling whistle or mirror, extra food and water, extra clothing, navigation or communication aids, first aid kit, emergency shelter, pocketknife and sun protection.
Howse said it's a good idea to carry an emergency beacon or other device that has two-way communication, giving rescuers the ability to communicate with a missing person.
"If it's a one-way communicator, it's still useful," Howse said. "We know your location roughly, and we know that you're in distress and you need help, but we don't know the details of what we're dealing with."
Once a person is reported missing and a search is launched, several agencies and a huge amount of resources can be involved, he said.
“One thing that people should really understand is that the search and rescue operation does take time,” he said. "Worst case, it's overnight depending on where a person is, depending on how far back they are or how difficult it is to find them."
Volunteers with Foothills Search and Rescue work in southern Kananaskis Country and the Highwood region and provide disaster response throughout the province when required.
Information about wilderness safety is available at foothillssearchandrescue.ca.
