Plan ahead when hiking this winter, SES urges

By Monique Preston

Jun 2, 2023

Be prepared: The SES is urging people to plan ahead before starting hikes in state parks this winter.

Visitors to Victorian state parks are being urged by the State Emergency Service to plan in advance for adverse conditions, and to remain vigilant when bushwalking or hiking this winter.

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With winter now upon us, and the days growing shorter, hikers can be caught out by early nightfall.

Daylight hours are cut even shorter by the high ridges at locations like Lerderderg or Werribee Gorge, which increases the risk of serious injury from slips and falls.

Wet conditions further boost the danger of serious injury from slips, falls, and hypothermia.

Walkers are asked to take a moment to plan ahead before heading out on a hike, using a list:

Know your limitations — consider the degree of difficulty of any walks or hikes you are taking and ensure you don’t overdo it.
Pack a map and a compass, or know your route via GPS, and know any common location names.
Become familiar with emergency markers located along bushwalking tracks. They are designed to pinpoint your exact location during an emergency in public open spaces or hard to define places. They display three letters and three numbers which gives an exact location of where the markers are.
Ensure you keep away from hazardous trees in the wind.
Take plenty of water and some food.
Wear appropriate footwear and clothes for the conditions.
Have communications equipment that will work where you are going — like a satellite phone if you’re going for extended periods across low coverage areas. Consider if you’ll need radio backup, a personal locator beacon, a copy of any important phone numbers, a phone charger, battery pack or other communications supplies.
If visiting national parks or walking tracks, check with Parks Victoria at parkweb.vic.gov.au ahead of time for closures.
When planning your walk, use trusted sources of information like the Parks Victoria website. Visitor guides on park-specific pages have maps and information about walking difficulty and estimated duration, based on the Australian walking track-grading system. There are also timely updates on park or track closures.