Five Life-Saving Drills: Navigation, Thunder, Rivers, Cold, Nightfall

Knowledge that has never been rehearsed is a hypothesis. A drill turns it into a behaviour, and behaviour is what shows up when the weather turns and everyone is tired.

How to run them

• Start in low-risk terrain, then take it into real trips.
• One drill at a time, ten to twenty minutes, with someone timing and scoring.
• Do not perform. Record: where were we slow, where did we judge wrong, what changes next time.
• Medical, rope and moving-water skills require a qualified instructor. Never use a genuinely dangerous situation as practice.

Drill 1 — Navigation and being lost

• Objective: state where you are, the last certain point, and how to retreat, without a phone track.
• Setup: familiar terrain, track off, paper map and compass only.
• Steps: report position every 15 minutes with the evidence; on "you are lost", stop and return to the last certain point; give two retreat routes with times.
• Pass: position plus two retreat routes inside 10 minutes, without guessing.
• Stop: dangerous terrain, darkness, or a panicking participant.
• Debrief: which step lost the bearing? Map, compass or landmark — which went unused?

Drill 2 — Thunder decision

• Objective: decide continue / reroute / descend / shelter within five minutes of hearing thunder.
• Setup: mark ridges, summits, water, isolated trees, buildings and vehicles on a map.
• Steps: present an approaching storm; five-minute timer; name the nearest safe place, the route and what you are abandoning; rehearse the call and the rally point.
• Pass: safe point, route and abandoned objective inside five minutes, off the ridge and away from water.
• Stop: real thunder — switch to the real plan.
• Debrief: did "we are nearly there" cause hesitation?

Drill 3 — River crossing

• Objective: be able to say no, and to unbuckle, use two points of contact and shuffle sideways.
• Setup: shallow, slow water below the knee, with an instructor. Never downstream of a waterfall or a strainer.
• Steps: choose three points and explain each decision; unbuckle hip and sternum straps; cross with poles or a partner, facing upstream, shuffling; rehearse the retreat mid-crossing.
• Pass: a clear reason to decline; stable movement; knowing when to turn back.
• Stop: knee-deep, fast, near-freezing, or anything hazardous downstream.
• Debrief: did you look downstream before choosing? Did the group's momentum override you?

Drill 4 — Hypothermia response

• Objective: shelter, dry layers, insulation, rewarming and a call, inside ten minutes.
• Setup: camp or indoors, with sleeping bag, mat and hot water bottle wrapped in a towel.
• Steps: simulate shivering and slurred speech; move out of the wind; dry and insulate; warm drinks only if alert; call for help and record temperature, consciousness and time.
• Pass: all five steps inside ten minutes, with no alcohol, no vigorous rubbing and no direct fire.
• Stop: declining consciousness, shivering stopping, or an unprotected airway — treat as an emergency.
• Debrief: which step was slowest, and who was making the call?

Drill 5 — Nightfall and retreat

• Objective: make the continue / camp / retreat decision before dark, and move as a group at night.
• Setup: familiar route, three checkpoints, a written turnaround time.
• Steps: write turnaround, retreat route and rally point before starting; report time, distance remaining and team condition at each checkpoint; rehearse darkness with headlamps, order, leader and sweep.
• Pass: turnaround honoured, group stays together, retreat route known.
• Stop: a deteriorating teammate, worsening weather, or unfamiliar terrain — do not walk at night.
• Debrief: why was the turnaround missed? Who did not feel able to say "turn around"?

Debrief template

• What did we practise?
• Where were we slow or wrong?
• What single thing changes next time?
• What gear or course do we still need?