Tips from the mountain rescue service

Thunderstorm weekend: What to bear in mind on tours

Lightning - wonderful to look at, but a deadly danger, especially on the mountain.

(Bild: Pail Sepp)

The experts at the Tyrolean Mountain Rescue Service strongly advise you to read the weather forecast carefully and plan the length of your tour accordingly. And even in summer, you should take gloves and a hat with you on a tour.

While the last snow fields are melting, new dangers are forming in the sky for mountain enthusiasts. The thunderstorm season is about to start and requires the utmost caution in the terrain this weekend.

An early start is important
"Good tour planning, taking into account the weather forecast, is essential," emphasizes Ekkehard Wimmer, the new regional director of the Tyrolean Mountain Rescue Service. Christian Eder, Head of Alpine Training at the rescue organization, advises starting early and adapting the length of the tour to the weather forecast. "If thunderstorms are forecast for midday, you have to be in a safe area or in a hut by midday," says Eder.

Good tour planning, taking into account the weather forecast, is essential.

Ekkehard Wimmer, Landesleiter Bergrettung Tirol

Your fitness level must match the tour
In this context, he warns against overestimating oneself, which is known to result in more and more rescue missions. "My fitness level must match the tour," he emphasizes. Only those who realistically assess their own fitness will be able to get back to a safe place in time.

If thunderstorms are forecast for midday, you have to be in a safe area or in a hut by midday.

Christian Eder, Ausbildungsleiter alpin, Bergrettung Tirol

Make it as small as possible in an emergency
The exact location of a thunderstorm is usually unpredictable, even for weather apps. Therefore, mountain enthusiasts should always keep a close eye on the weather. And if you do get caught in a storm, the most important rule is to make yourself as small as possible, don't move and don't form the highest point. "Free-standing trees are taboo!"

Rain protection and warm clothing
Your rucksack should also include rainwear, a hat and gloves. Eder: "In the mountains, it can cool down by 10 to 15 degrees in a short space of time."