Before you begin on a hiking trip, it’s always best to fully research the route that you will be undertaking. Having a clear idea of the route before you set off makes it much easier for you to know the correct paths to follow – a smartphone and a map of the area could also be hugely beneficial.

Lost (1)

As fun as hiking with a friend is, solo walks can be hugely gratifying and give you the opportunity to clear your head and collect your thoughts. But if you are alone and become lost, you need to know how best you can rectify the situation.

Before you do anything, you need to stop and assess where you are and how you got to this point. If you begin to advance without clearly knowing where you are going, you run the risk of straying even further away from your desired destination.

If you have an idea of where you may have gone wrong, it may be worth re-tracing your steps, but it is probably more beneficial to follow these steps first.

  • Check where you are by using your smartphone or map, a paper alternative will not be as precise but may give you an idea of where you have gone wrong – and isn’t limited by signal.
  • It’s likely that there will be other people on the trail, so if you can attract the attention of someone, that will be a huge benefit. If you’re wearing brightly coloured clothing this may help but carrying a whistle could also help.
  • If you’re really not sure how to proceed, starting a small fire could help to attract other hikers (and keep you warm). This is particularly beneficial if you are forced to take shelter at night – especially if you don’t have a sleeping bag to keep you warm!

Make sure that you are always fully prepared and knowledgeable of the route before you begin, but keep these top tips in mind just in case.

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