Mountain Hiking Tips for Beginners

"Hiking and mountain hiking have captivated the youth as well", says Michael Larcher, 61 years old and head of the mountain sports division at the Austrian Alpine Association. "That’s interesting, because when I was young, hiking wasn’t a sport for youngsters. It was for senior citizens in red and white checked shirts and Lederhosen; the type you were adamant you wouldn’t become. It was totally uncool, and now it’s really in. Everyone goes hiking – often young women amongst themselves. You look good, have great equipment, and fashion is on board too." For Michael Larcher, this is a reflection of our times.

Hiking has not just become cool, but is also leading to an increase in mountain rescues, although fortunately the number of fatal incidents is decreasing. Beginners often lack the experience on the mountain, so can get themselves into emergency situations more quickly. These usually only means exhaustion, not being able to move further forwards or backwards, or that someone has simply got lost. But the mobile phone is quickly pulled out to call for help, which leads to the increase in mountain rescues.

"For us, it’s a success if the number of accidents does not rise to the same extent as the number of active people", says Michael Larcher, and shares his tips with us, with which common mistakes and thus emergencies and rescue operations can be avoided.

Michael Larcher tells us that weather is a very important factor when mountain hiking, as is the right equipment. You should also keep timings in mind and be able to gage whether you can manage the planned tour. "Am I healthy and fit? Always start small and work your way up. The further you progress from walking to hiking and mountain hiking, the greater the element of adventure and uncertainty. Honest personal judgement is of key here!"

Even if it is clear that the focus should be on a nice experience, beginners can often misjudge their strength and fitness levels. This is why Michael recommends: "I wouldn‘t do tours with more than an 800 m difference in altitude for the first one to two days, i.e. the altitude that is actually covered between the starting and end points. Tours that allow you to stop for a break somewhere along the way are also ideal and there are so many mountain huts to choose from." This gives you the reassurance that you will be able to have a rest and don’t have to carry too much food and water with you.

You can fill your water bottles up at the huts along the way and there are often farms or pastures where you can get fresh water from a fountain. This will help you avoid a beginner’s mistake: a backpack that is far too heavy with unnecessary items. 

Unseasonal weather such as sudden changes with snow, storms, fog, thunder, and lightening are risk factors when hiking. But the opposite – heat – should not be underestimated either, and should be taken into account when choosing your equipment and tour.

Michael’s tip: tours that involve covering a lot of altitude or are purely south-facing are not a good idea at the height of summer. He therefore advises to opt for tours where the ascent is at least partially in the shade. All tour descriptions should include this information.

What should also be considered for the ascent and descent: while there are almost exclusively cardiovascular emergencies on the way up due to overexertion, statistics clearly show that there are far more accidents on the way down. These are accidents caused by falls, because people are much better built to go uphill rather than down. On the descent, the view into the valley can also upset balance and a trip or slide can lead to a fall. An additional factor is that tiredness increases whilst concentration decreases on the way back down. This danger of falling is often not recognised, so it’s important to assess the terrain and your own speed in advance.

The Austrian Alpine Association has more than 600,000 members and looks after 25,000 km of hiking trails in Austria alone. Its most important tasks are the promotion and supervision of mountain sports and the protection of the alpine environment. 

· Safety on Mountains booklets

· Hut finder and opening times