Slippery Slopes
The guide explained the perils of the mountain trail to the novice snowshoers and instructed us on what to watch out for when traversing the tricky terrain. She outlined the different dangers that one can encounter on the snowy trails and how to avoid trouble. She asked the would-be adventurers to pay close attention to the danger of falling in water, for example. Snowshoes can be cumbersome to walk with, so one has to be more careful than usual. Besides a potential head injury, hypothermia can set in seconds and lead to bad consequences.
"When you come across a bridge like this one," she said when we arrived at the little bridge, "be very careful, even if it looks small. Only one person at a time should cross it. Don't stop in the middle to take pictures, just keep moving. You can take your beautiful pictures after you cross the bridge. Accidents do and have happened, so you need to be extra careful when you're crossing these bridges with your snowshoes on."
A group of ladies had been giggling and talking throughout the instructions. When it came their turn to cross the bridge, one of them stopped in the middle of it and began to turn around to take a picture with the phone in her hand.
The guide firmly commanded the woman to get her butt across the bridge (not in those words). Then she gave her and her friends a stern but tactful lecture about the dangers of such behavior. Fooling around in slippery snowy places could put them and other people in danger. The ladies soon realized that this was no Disneyland, but a place where one can potentially encounter heaps of trouble.
I think that people get carried away with excitement when they're up on the ski areas and forget that a mountain is not a playground. It's important to pay attention to one's surrounding, be prepared, and learn how to navigate those tricky places. Things can go sideways fast.
By the end of the journey, one person was already struggling with the short but moderately difficult trail, so we had to stop to deal with their health issue.
As for the ladies, they completed their hike and did not lose their enthusiasm in spite of the few lectures they received because of their unruly behaviour and divided attention. Perhaps they learned a valuable lesson. When hiking in icy mountainous terrain, one cannot prevent an accident from happening, but one can take steps to minimize the chances of it happening and dealing with the consequences if it does happen. Mountains are majestic and offer unforgettable rewards... as long as you roll back down safely. 🙂🙃🙂🙃
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| X | InLeo | NFT Showroom |
It must be an odyssey to walk in snow and that bridge.... I have never really walked in snow, only once it snowed in my home town and that was for a few hours....
It's great that you got to see a little bit of snow. Snow can be challenging to walk on, depending on the type of snow and conditions. The snow in the photographs is nice and fluffy, so it's fun to use snowshoes, plus it's the only way to properly walk the trail. But snow can then become icy and slippery, so you need different footwear if you're on a mountain trail.
Very complicated.... I'd better let you walk in the snow...