INJURED, CAN’T CALL ANYONE, CAN’T GET OFF THE MOUNTAIN WITHOUT HELP… WHAT NOW?
WHAT IS A LATE BACK PROCEDURE
This is leaving some details with someone, a friend, family member or even a hostel or hotel you are staying in, to let them know; where you are going in the mountains and when they should hear from you again after your day.
Why?
It is worth considering when we enter the mountains what happens if you have an accident and are unable to get phone signal to call for help as well as being unable to get yourself off the hill.
Hopefully this will never happen to you but it is worth having something in place for this scenario. Hopefully if it does, you would be near other walkers who can hopefully assist in calling or texting for help. (Check out how to register for text 999).
This may sound simple, but it is basically letting someone know where you are going and what time you should be off the mountain. Without a set time you are aiming to finish your walk by and when they should hear from you again, it is easy for them to not really wonder where you are until very late in the evening before thinking anything of it.
For example; I leave from Edinburgh. I’m going to the Cairngorms for the day. I left at 6am with 3 hours driving each way and probably after a days hill walking wouldn’t be home until 8pm or later. I told someone I was going to the Cairngorms but that is all. Nothing is thought of until 9, 10, 11pm when they haven’t heard from me. However, while out walking I had an accident away from any normal walkers routes. It was after lunch, say 3pm, I can’t get signal and I can’t move myself or get myself back to a road, path etc and there are no walkers around. I’m stuck there. I’ve got my extra kit on and emergency shelter out (Kit List). I am now waiting, hoping someone will come across me. I hadn’t said where exactly I was going in the Cairngorms and no one knows when they should hear from me. Potentially they aren’t going to think about it until late on as I am traveling back and forth to the Cairngorms in a day.
This scenario means it could potentially be late in the evening or into the night before anyone realises I am missing and help is called. In this case, my accident was at 3pm and let’s say 9pm before anyone wonders where I am. 6 hours unable to move and probably by this time very cold, maybe hypothermic, alongside my other injuries. This is before help is called and when they call, they have no idea where I went - just somewhere in the Cairngorms. This is obviously a worst case scenario and usually we say what mountain/s we are going to. Even in this case, it is 6 hours before they then have to search a whole mountain or several mountains for where I may be.
But with 2 minutes of effort this can be reduced massively.
LATE BACK CARD / ROUTE INFORMATION.
Leaving some basic information could make a huge difference. If someone is expecting you to check in at 5pm and you have agreed that if nothing is heard by 6 (to allow some leeway for being a bit slower on the day or just enjoying being out and losing track of time), they could call for help 3 hours earlier than in the scenario above. This is a huge difference in time of the start of a search and the accuracy of the location of a search. This would make a huge difference in terms of comfort, long-term effects of the injury, perhaps even survival.
WHAT INFORMATION SHOULD YOU INCLUDE?
Route
What route, what mountains. I sometimes send a link from a website if I am following that route and let them know if I’m reversing the route.
Start Point
Where will you start the route and be leaving your car.
Start and Finish Times
Giving your approximate finish time and having an agreement as to how long after this Mountain Rescue should be contacted. It is useful to have a note on the card on how to get in touch with Mountain Rescue on the card (Dial 999, ask for Police and when you get through to the Police state that you require Mountain Rescue) as this saves the person who is perhaps now getting worried from having to remember or look up how to contact Mountain Rescue
Vehicle
Car type and registration. This allows Mountain rescue to check firstly your car is in the carpark still, potentially avoiding false alarms.
Medical Information
Any medical information Police / Mountain Rescue should be aware of.
Group information
If you are out with others, how many, who are they (you can add their car details to)
Kit
What clothing are you wearing (red jacket or blue jacket? What colour rucksack?) and what emergency kit do you have with you?
TEXTING UPDATES
Without using all your phone battery, it could also be worth dropping the odd text message through the day e.g. I’ve made it to this summit or decided to add in mountain X if you change your plan as you go etc. This can narrow down a search as they will have more up to date information.
LATE BACK CARD
This may seem like a lot of information to pass on each time so have a card you can leave. Some info will be the same week in week out such as Vehicle, medical conditions and Kit.
Below is an example you can download and use for yourself. Add in extras as you please, these are just key bits it is worth having on the card.
And lastly, If I forget to complete it for whatever reason, I drop someone a text message with the same information.