Summer has begun – it’s time to put your walking boots back on. And plan excursions. And check the weather forecast. And assess your own physical condition. And find out, from reliable sources, what the conditions are like on the trails. In short… it’s time to return to the topic of caution in the mountains. With a series of training events held in various locations between 16 and 25 June, a new season opened for the “Caution in the mountains” project, born out of the collaboration between the Trentino Mountain Hut Managers’ Association, the Trentino Alpine Guides’ Association, Trentino Mountain and Speleological Rescue Services, SAT (Tridentine Mountaineering Society), the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation and Trentino Marketing.
Safety or caution?
Two words that are semantically close but conceptually distant. The first implies the possibility of “zero” risk, which is not possible in the mountains. The second, however, recalls the need to implement those behaviours that limit subjective dangers, in the knowledge that objective dangers are always lurking. The word “safety” also leads people to think that safety must be guaranteed from outside, whereas the concept of caution shifts the focus to personal awareness, responsibility, and informed evaluation. This is why the term caution was chosen, and the efforts as part of this collective project, introduced last year, go exactly in this direction.
Information first
A decalogue with four quick guides for tackling a trek, a via ferrata, climbing, and a High Alps experience, plus a series of FAQs with tips on planning an excursion – what clothing to choose and how to pack, where to find useful, up-to-date information, how to consult the weather forecast, what to bring to the mountain hut, what food to take, and what to do in the event of accidents, illness or tick bites. These are just some of the issues that are being clarified thanks to a campaign which, once again this summer, aims to encourage informed, prudent visits to the Dolomites and to limit, as much as possible, rescue missions for incidents that could be avoided by taking a few precautions.