MOUNTAIN SAFETY
By and large New Zealand’s great outdoors is a benign place to take your 4x4. But it can bite if you don’t plan and take some basic precautions, writes Richard Soult of www.4x4explorer.co.nz
After having done a lot of mountaineering in my younger years, I am always conscious of the risks involved in getting out in remote areas in my 4WD.
In stark contrast, for instance to the European Alps, where I have spent the past three months and where you are never far from a mountain village, the New Zealand High Country can be truly remote!
What if?
At issue is the fact that a 4WD gives you a false sense of security. Whilst things are going well, you have a means of transport and shelter. However, you should always think about what would happen if you had to abandon your vehicle.
On the two occasions that I have had to walk out, the weather was warm and sunny. On a recent trip over the Omarama Saddle, however, the weather was freezing with horizontal snow. Walking out in these conditions would not have been fun and, if poorly equipped, potentially life threatening.
As recently happened with a family stuck in an overturned vehicle in the flooded Hopkins River, you should always be prepared for the worst.
Golden Rules
If you’re venturing out, there are a few ‘Golden Rules’ that you should follow;
1. Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be out. If you don’t have anyone to tell, leave a note at a local pub/ farm or shop. They’ll always be happy to keep an eye out for you. This is simple to do and doesn’t involve buying any expensive equipment.
2. Go with someone else. “Safety in numbers” is true. If one of you gets stuck and unrecoverable, at least you will have a vehicle to seek help.
3. Check the weather forecast. Perhaps the most important! If you’re planning to go through a private station, call and ask what the weather has been and is predicted to do. There are many good weather forecasting services available including Met Service.
River rules
In the South Island of New Zealand, many routes involve crossing the braided rivers that we have – and which columnist Geoff Anders has been writing about of late.
Start checking the weather forecast several days before your intended trip to get an idea of the flows that you may encounter. Remember that the flow may be a result of previous rainfall and not what is actually happening or may happen in the immediate future.
You should make yourself aware of the signs that a river is starting to flood. Go back and re-read Geoff’s two columns on the subject ( in the Sept & Oct 2019 issues. Ed).
The general rule is that if you can’t walk it, you shouldn’t drive it! The photos that I saw of the family who’s vehicle rolled, clearly showed the tell-tale brown colour of a river in flood. If confronted with a river in this state, hold fast until it has receded. You may miss a day from work, but you won’t lose your truck or your life!
Be self-sufficient
Generally, when Overlanding for 4x4Explorer, I’m on my own. So what do I carry? For a start it’s always preferable to stay with your vehicle, if you can, but if you can’t, you will need to be self-sufficient.
For me that means I’m always prepared with everything that I need to enable me to be separated from my vehicle and for a long walk out; everything in terms of food and shelter is in what I call my ‘grab bag.’
This is a small rucksack with lightweight sleeping bag, waterproof clothing, emergency shelter and food for a few days. This is always kept handy and easily accessible in case things go really bad and I need to abandon the truck.
This bag also includes a basic first aid kit, headlamp, hand held GPS and UHF radio.
Best insurance
Perhaps my greatest “insurance policy” item, however, is my PLB or Personal Locator Beacon. Once activated, my PLB will inform rescue services of my location, to within five metres and continue to update my location in real time. Once you get outside towns in New Zealand and lose mobile signal, one of these devices could save your life!
They used to be reasonably expensive but have come down in price dramatically in recent times. The model that I have, cost around $ 300 and has a battery life of around 20 years. If you can’t afford to buy one of your own, I definitely recommend that you buy one jointly with friends and take it with you.
All the routes on https:// www. 4x4explorer. co.nz/?aff+2818 and which are remote, recommend that you carry this equipment with you.
Of course, don’t let any of this put you off getting out there and doing it. Just make sure that you are well prepared in case things don’t go as planned.
Looking forward to seeing you out there on the tracks!