Everything you need to know about hiking safely this Christmas

On high ground, weather can change quickly. People can also lose their sense of direction. In limited daylight, anyone getting caught in darkness can be forced to spend the night in freezing conditions

As sure as they’ve had their Christmas dinner, it’s certain that thousands of people will be taking to the hills for much-needed exercise on St Stephen’s Day — one of the busiest days of the year on mountains and walking trails.

They probably want to get out of the house for fresh air... escaping cabin fever and all that. The December 26 trek to places like Carrauntuohill, in Kerry, is an annual ritual for some, even if the elements are dodgy. And therein lies a problem.

As a news journalist in this newspaper for 40 years, it was often my sad duty to report on the deaths of mountaineers in falls, as well as numerous accidents resulting in injuries to people.

You could be almost guaranteed some such ‘incidents’ during the Christmas/New Year period, especially in The MacGillycuddy’s Reeks and the Wicklow mountains. And one of the biggest mistakes is not to take account of the weather.

In many cases, victims are either ignorant of, or do not heed, advice before heading into hazardous territory. They are sometimes not properly clad, or shod, for the conditions, which can be cold and slippery, at this time of year especially.

Kerry Mountain Rescue team in action on Carrauntwohill. Pictures: Kerry Mountain Rescue Team

Warm clothing, an adequate supply of food and drink, strong boots, a map, and compass are essentials. People also need to have an idea of where exactly they’re going and should tell somebody the time they expect to return later that day.

On high ground, weather can change quickly. People can also lose their sense of direction. In limited daylight, anyone getting caught in darkness can be forced to spend the night in freezing conditions, and all that entails, on a bare mountain.

And, while they will undoubtedly carry their mobile phones, there can be problems with coverage in some mountainous areas.

If hill walkers get into difficulties, others have to answer a call-out, including mountain rescue teams, gardaí, the ambulance service and emergency helicopters.

It’s well to remember that these people also need a break around Christmas, particularly the all-volunteer rescue teams who are usually the first responders and who sometimes put their own lives and safety at risk.

To illustrate how this time of year can be dangerous in the great outdoors, the Kerry Mountain Rescue Team answered two call-outs and brought three people to safety, on St Stephen’s Day 2017.

And, in the early days of January 2021, four different groups had to be rescued after getting stuck on a dangerous part of Carrantuohill in icy conditions.

All of which leads to a warning from team spokesman, Alan Wallace, that people "should avoid scaling peaks unless they have experience of winter climbing".