Six golden rules when you go to the mountains
1) Planning
A tour can only be as good as your planning. Do you get some map material? Where can you take a rest? Shelters or farm huts on the route? Take all the possible information with you before starting your tour, save also the phone number of the responsible mountain rescue service. The number can be requested from the Tourist Office, but cable car operators, hoteliers and innkeepers can often provide information.
If you go into a region for the first time, joining a guided hike or taking a mountain guide is also a very good idea.
2) Weather
Find out more about weather conditions on the website Deutschen Alpenvereins (www.alpenverein.de) and local weather services. Be prepared for a meteorological change in the weather and take a breathable wind- and waterproof jacket with you. A fleece pullover is also useful. On the mountain, temperatures sometimes fall within minutes.
3) Shoes
Sandals, flip-flops or sneakers are taboo on the mountain. Wear high-heeled hiking boots with a good profile, even in summer despite the heat. High shoes protect you from the risk of kinking or to hurt at the foot. Especially great on the descent when you are tired and you lose your coordination skills.
4) Emergency
Every hiking backpack should includes a small mountain pharmacy: bandages, patches of painkillers and a rescue blanket that prevents from cooling down body temperature..
5) Water & Food
Take enough food, especially liquids. Mineral water or apple spritzer are ideal. Strong sugary drinks should be avoided, alcohol anyway. Also pack some cereal bars, they give you fast energy, if you should run out of energy and the way to the next hut is still far.
6) Comfort
Keep a cool head and wear the right clothes. The UV radiation is enormous, especially in high mountains. Always wear a hat on fine days. Choose a sunscreen with a high light protection factor - I usually take a factor of 50. Wear a long-sleeved shirt rather than a T-shirt. Protect always your skin