Safety when enjoying the outdoors
The warmer weather in Cape Town brings with it an increase in hikers venturing outdoors, to enjoy any of the city’s numerous hiking and climbing routes. A warning has been issued this week to hikers and climbers to pay attention to their personal safety.
“Our first bit of advice is to remember that there is safety in numbers. We strongly discourage running, hiking or cycling alone. Rather join a group of people who can look out for your safety and also offer encouragement along the way,” says Mr Jade Hanning, Cape Town South district manager at Fidelity ADT.
His comments come in the wake of a court appearance this week of a suspect charged with the murder of two hikers and attacks on ten others on Table Mountain. The organization Friends of Table Mountain (FOTM) was quoted in media reports expressing concern at the levels of security enforcement on the mountain.
Hanning provides safety tips that hikers, cyclists and runners should remember:
• Carry some form of identification on you, so that any bystanders will know who you are and who to contact in case of an emergency.
• Another good idea is to ensure someone you trust, knows that you are headed out for a run or cycle, has an idea of the route you plan to take and when you expect you will return. In this way, they can quickly raise the alarm if you do not return as planned.
• Wear reflective clothing to make sure you are visible to other road users. Run against traffic and cycle with traffic. This makes you even more visible to others.
• Changing up your route and training time makes it difficult for any would-be criminal to anticipate your movements.
“Find out from your security company if they offer a mobile tracking app which can be downloaded on your cellphone. This is an effective way of alerting emergency service providers when you need them while also giving them your accurate location, especially if you are running or hiking along a mountain path or in a forest,” says Hanning.