Emergency equipment

• Emergency kit, emergency rations these are carried in case you have to spend a night on the mountains. They should be high energy food such as chocolate bars etc. and be something you would enjoy eating but you must have the discipline not to eat them to supplement your lunch !

• Torch with spare batteries and bulb, the batteries should give you at least 8 hours of light and remember that batteries don't last as long in the cold.

• A whistle, this is used for attracting the attention of other people on the mountains.

• The international distress signal is six long blasts over the course of a minute then a minutes silence and repeat. Similarly a torch can be flashed six times in a minute then a minutes rest and repeat. The reply from rescuers is three blasts or flashes. So if you see or hear this signal then take a bearing on where it came from try to identify where it is on the map. Then plot a safe route to it and if possible attract the attention of other people on the hill whilst you make your way there whilst giving the three signal reply.