How to get your bearings in the mountains

If you like hiking, the nature tours in the mountains will surely enchant you. But when it comes to entering the mountain, you should be well prepared to avoid getting lost and having a hard time. There are some very simple and useful guidelines or tricks to get oriented in the mountains, and we tell you about them so that you can enjoy nature with complete peace of mind.

one

The compasses are a very useful object when it comes to orienting ourselves in the mountains. Clearly mark the north and south, and serve to return to find the way in case of having lost us. The altimeters are also very useful, they serve to see the height above sea level where we are.

two

If we lack a compass, we can help us find north and south thanks to the sun. The solar output and sunset can also be a very useful reference. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

3

Obviously, we should not go into the mountain without a map of the area we are traveling. It is advisable to be cautious and it is advisable to look for our position on the map. Look for any element of nature that catches your attention and is nearby, for example, a river, a mountain range, etc. Try to identify it on the map to guide you and take the right direction.

4

In the case that you miss at night, a key element to guide you on the mountain is to follow the Pole Star . This star will always indicate the North. From there, we can trace the route or if we prefer, find a place to spend the night and start the march the next day.

5

As a basic rule, in case we get lost and do not have a map, we should always try to lower it.

6

Another method to guide us on the mountain is with the clock . To mark the Northern Hemisphere, set the solar time and aim the small hand of the clock towards the sun. The bisector of the angle formed by the small hand and twelve o'clock in the clock places the south.

7

The vegetation can also help guide us if we have lost. It is true that the vegetation offers a lot of information. In the Northern Hemisphere, the slopes facing North and Northwest tend to offer greener vegetation because there is more moisture and they grow faster.