Mountain code of conduct
Code of conduct for backcountry mountain activities
In our everyday lives we are accustomed to rules and safety precautions. In the mountains, however, we are largely left to our own devices. Which is exciting but can also be dangerous. This deuter Basecamp article outlines the rules and principles behind how to behave in the mountains, for increased safety awareness and protection of the natural world and to promote better social cohesion – from the planning stage through to the realization of your mountain tours.
Summary of the code of conduct principles
Respect, consideration and sensitivity towards people and the natural world are important aspects of any backcountry mountain activity. There may not be a comprehensive book on mountain etiquette, but we do have basic rules on how to behave in the mountains thanks to the Union Internationale des Associations d’Alpinisme (UIAA) – or International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation – which we have compiled for you here, together with additional recommendations, to provide a wide-ranging mountain code of conduct.
Rules for harmonious interaction and considerate behavior
There are a few rules of conduct which should be observed to ensure our own personal safety, the protection of the environment and animals, and more harmonious interactions with others. Below you will find a list of simple, but very important and effective rules.
- Make sure you evaluate your physical condition and strength honestly before the tour, as well as that of your team (especially children).
- Plan each mountain tour carefully using maps, guidebooks or digital route planners. If necessary, also gather information from alpine associations, local experts, mountain guides, mountain hut staff or biking schools.
- Pack gear and clothing to suit the tour and preferably take too much rather than too little. The weather can change quickly in the mountains. A first aid kit is also important, plus a cell phone, tools (bike) and enough food and water.
- Familiarize yourself with how to use your gear. Make sure you are fully comfortable with using it and with the main types of repairs that might be required – before you set out.
- Follow the rules on how to plan a tour, check the weather forecast and avalanche bulletin, and if necessary, ask about local weather conditions at your intended touring area.
- Use public transportation or carpooling to make sure you minimize the impact of your travel.
- Park only in designated parking spaces and check you are not blocking access routes or emergency lanes, nor parking on private land or national park land. Violations can incur high penalties.
- It is greener to plan a longer stay in one area than multiple day trips to various areas.
- Adapt your planned tour to the time of year and daylight hours. As a general rule: set off early, come back early and make sure you can turn back early.
- Don’t go on your own. When moving in a group, you must always work to the abilities of the weakest team member. So adapt your pace to theirs. And make sure you are confident in the skills of your companions, especially on demanding tours with a higher level of risk.
- Do not overestimate yourself. Too much exertion inevitably leads to premature fatigue. Pace yourself and make sure you take plenty of rest breaks.
- Do not stray from the marked trail. If you lose your way, turn around. Snow-covered or glaciated terrain in particular can be dangerous, with crevasses or cornices which are not immediately noticeable. Aside from the safety aspect, by sticking to the trail, you will minimize the impact you have on the habitat and natural behavior of wild animals.
- Note the markings, advice and route recommendations of the German Alpine Club’s (DAV) “Environmentally Friendly Ski Mountaineering” project (or your local alpine club website). That way you can be sure you are using the least environmentally impactful routes.
- Always observe local ski touring rules in pisted ski areas, and rules of conduct for ski touring on the pistes. You can find out more on the DAV website (or alternative alpine club websites).
- If the terrain gets steeper or more precipitous, apply the ‘3 points of contact’ rule. Essentially, this means you must ensure that three of your four limbs are always in contact with the ground.
- Carry out a visual or physical check of any aid equipment such as bridges, railings, ropes, steps or staples and load them as little as possible.
- Move quickly through sections that are possibly prone to rockfall, and make sure you do not dislodge any rocks, endangering others.
- The descent can be harder and more dangerous than the ascent. So always adapt your speed to the conditions, use poles, if possible, to help with balance and joint strain, and stay focused, despite tiredness.
- If the weather deteriorates, it becomes foggy, the trail becomes too challenging, or you are running out of time, make sure you turn back in plenty of time to get back. Even if you are close to the summit.
- In a thunderstorm, avoid mountain tops and ridges, never stand under a tall lone tree, and instead take shelter in a hollow or valley.
- In an accident, stay calm, follow the guidelines in our Basecamp First Aid pages and call for help (112 for most of Europe, 999 in the UK, or 911 in the US and Canada).
- For safety reasons, tell a friend or your family where you intend to go and what time you expect to be back. On multi-day routes, enter these details into the hut guest book. It will increase the chances of success if a search should be needed.
- Mountains are a great leveler. A friendly approach and a warm greeting will make encounters with others all the more pleasant.
- Agree on a plan with any oncoming people. The person who feels more confident or safe should be the one to move off the trail to allow the other to pass. If someone is moving faster and would like to overtake, you can move aside and allow them to do so in a convenient spot. It is safer for the person standing aside to position themselves on the mountain/uphill side of the trail.
- Generally, on the trail, a person coming uphill has priority, and consideration must be shown to slower or less capable trail users.
- In places where the trails are shared by hikers, bikers and other mountain sports, the following applies: Those on foot have priority. In their own interest and to keep the flow, bikers should therefore stick to trails that are specifically marked as bike trails only or that are not highly frequented hiking trails. The same applies for anyone skiing downhill from a ski tour.
- Bike etiquette advocates braking early, stopping if people are walking up from below, and making yourself known, so as not to startle people when approaching from behind.
- Share knowledge on potential dangers, difficult sections or adverse conditions.
- Move through pasture areas of the mountains with special consideration. Their owners are letting you use their private land, after all.
- Leave no trace. Always take all your waste away with you and dispose of it correctly. Take a small bag with you for this purpose (like the deuter Infiniti Dirtbag) and collect other waste that you might also find along the trail.
- Anything that is not ‘natural’ has no place here. Even organic waste should not be left in the mountains. Tissues, for example, take 5 years to decompose. Even fruit scraps, especially from fruit that is not from the region, cannot be properly decomposed by indigenous microorganisms and will therefore be detrimental to the local flora and fauna.
- Even worse, are cigarette butts which contain toxic chemicals that work their way into the groundwater and then back into the food chain.
- If you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go. Sometimes, it just can’t wait. If you are reluctant to carry out your own ‘mess’ in a plastic bag, then you should at least follow these rules: choose a spot away from the trail, a good distance from any bodies of water, dig a pit (cathole), cover it up again with soil and stones afterwards, and don't leave any tissues, toilet paper, or other hygiene items behind. You can carry these out in a plastic bag at least.
- Mountain flora is particularly fragile and needs to be protected. Many of the plants here have protected status. It is forbidden to pick any of these or dig them up.
- Stick to the trails and pathways to protect the flora and fauna, and in the case of bikers, to keep the trails fun to ride. Because taking a shortcut through a hairpin bend, jamming your rear wheel across a steep section or steering around puddles can eventually lead to the trails becoming wider, and consequently make more work for the trail builders.
- Do not build your own jumps, tables or berms. It is illegal. Not only because it is a major encroachment on nature, but also because most forests are privately owned, and you are tampering with other people’s property. It can end up being a costly mistake.
- Always treat wildlife habitats with respect. Try to avoid going out at sunrise, sunset or in the night in particular. April through July (owing to mating and nesting) is a critical time, as is winter in general (owing to food scarcity).
- Wildlife protection zones are indicated on alpine club maps and often on signs posted locally. Always pay attention to these when planning your tour.
- Treat wild animals as such. They are wild. So respect them and keep your distance. Never feed animals or attempt to pet them.
- Refrain from loud behavior or flying drones. Loud noises can spook animals and cause them to panic. In winter this is especially serious because wild animals slow down their whole system to save energy when it is cold, making them less mobile. And so making them flee uses up vital energy which can mean their fat reserves will not last into spring.
- Take great care if you come across cattle. Especially female cows with young calves or bulls, who will both be protective. Bullocks can be curious and boisterous too. So adapt your behavior, keep a safe distance away, and do not make any sudden movements.
- Depending on the situation, supplying food to mountain huts is a logistical feat and not to be taken for granted. Try to remember that everything we take for granted down in the valley, takes huge effort to get up into the mountains and is therefore a scarce commodity. So save resources like water and electricity and do not expect 5-star cuisine with Wi-Fi and luxury mattresses. Beauty lies in the simplicity here.
- Take your trash home with you, even if it’s tempting to leave it up at a mountain hut. Waste disposal is a very complex operation in the mountains.
- There are strict rules at mountain huts to keep everything running to plan. So come to dinner on time, do not go to bed later than 10pm, behave quietly and respectfully in the dormitories, use a headlamp instead of switching the main lights on, and if you are getting up early, pack up your backpack out in the hallway.
- The hut guest book is not only somewhere you can leave a witty comment, but also a good place to leave details such as your arrival time and planned onward destination, for safety reasons.
- Huts are bound by a duty of care to accommodate the sick or injured. But this does not apply to those who misjudge timings or simply neglect to book a space. If a hut is fully booked and it is a reasonable distance to the next shelter/ hut, then the wardens might send you on your way.
- So make a reservation well in advance. If, for some reason, you can’t make it, then let the hut wardens know at your earliest convenience. These days, it’s usually easiest to do this online.