Planning a Trip如何策劃戶外活動

This weekend I am going to lead an overnight backpack in the Catskills. As always, I conducted a trip write-up for reference. While I was completing the write-up, I kept thinking maybe it would be a good idea to talk about the general trip planning process – So, here it comes. The information this article provides is specialized to a 2-5 day backpack; however, most of the principals apply to other activities too.

※Pre-Trip Research

Before I start to research for my trip, the first thing I always do is evaluate myself. What do I expect? What can I do? I need to make sure that I will enjoy the trip and I am capable of finishing the trip and also leading the trip. Otherwise the trip will simply be a disaster for both me and my participants. (My club, AMC, suggests leaders to reserve 15-20% of energy to prepare for what might happen during a trip.)

Once I have no more concerns for myself, I then open up my calendar and set aside a weekend or a longer vacation for this trip, and start to investigate the following topics:

1. Trip Content and Expectation

Where are we going?

Does our destination reside in a national park, a state park, or state forests? Is the destination local or overseas?
(I had two articles (part1, part2) providing some ideas about backpacking destinations on the east coast. Right now those articles only have Chinese versions, but some of the links in the article might be useful for English readers.)

What is the general weather condition in that area?

How much is the precipitation?
What is the temperature like?

What kind of activity will we do?

Is it a 3-season backpack or a winter backpack?

If it’s a 3-season backpack: Will there be left-over ice or newly melted snow so that the trail is wet, muddy, and slippery? Will there be many bugs so that it is better for us not to sleep under a tarp? Also to bring along bug repel?

If it’s a winter backpack: Is it early winter, mid winter, or late winter? Do we need to prepare snowshoes? How much clothing is enough?

How difficult is this trip?

The difficulty of the trip involves these three factors – distance, terrain, elevation change – and as well some unseen ones. It is better to think of this issue in parallel with time management: How much time do we want to spend on trail everyday?

A rule of thumb says this: start with 2 miles per hour and add another hour for every 1,000 feet of elevation gain and another 0.5 hour for every 1,000 feet of elevation loss. This equation works fine in 3 seasons but is a big under-estimation in winter time. In winter, be flexible; give yourself more time. It’s much better to arrive at the campsite much earlier than have to hike in the dark.

How much time do we want to spend on trail everyday?

It’s nice to have an estimated travel time. With the sunrise and sunset clock in mind, you can avoid to hike in the dark unless you want to get an alpine start or bath in the moonlight.

In addition to the walking time derived from the above formula considering distance, terrain and elevation change, it is also important to include time for any form of resting (water stops, snack stops, layer changes, and natural calls). By the way, throw in some buffer time too.

What are the highlights for this trip?

To me, sleeping in the woods already qualifies a good reason to carry the weight; but sometimes people like to have goals, such as learning the history or ecology of the area, investigating air crash sites, bagging some peaks etc.

When I just started to backpack in the east coast, I never seriously logged the miles traveled or peaks collected. After meeting and talking with so many peak-baggers, thru-hikers, and section hikers, I looked back and counted. Surprisingly I have almost bagged 1/3 of the peaks in the Catskills, and I’ve hiked more than 300 miles of the Appalachian Trail (AT) even though it is not my favorite trail. (Maybe some day I’ll do the Triple Crown.)

2. Other Resources

Permits and Regulations

These are certainly not the fun part but we need them to make a trip work. Usually permits and regulations are there to prevent people from abusing the land, and we outdoor enthusiasts with no doubt all bear environmental ethics in mind.

Apply for permits as soon as possible; some popular destinations require early reservations.

Besides Leave No Trace, different areas will have different rules. Consult guide books or local ranger offices. Some regulations I’ve encountered in the east coast are:

Don’t stay consecutive nights in a shelter or a lean-to.
Thru-hikers have the priority to use the shelters on AT.
In the Catskills, never camp above 3500-foot unless it’s winter.

Hunting Seasons

Hikers share land with hunters. If you hike during hunting season, wear an orange vest, use an orange pack cover, or wear an orange hat. Of course, you can avoid going out to the woods during the hunting seasons, especially when hunters use rifles.

Local Hospitals, Emergency Cares, and Rescue Services

We don’t want to use all this information, but we need it handy. In the backcountry, we can’t just call 911 and expect an ambulance to show up several minutes later. If we have knowledge of closet help we can get, when an accident happens, we know how and where to retreat.

※Trip Write-up

I usually provide my participants a detailed write-up with a gear list and a screening form. A write-up explains the plan of the trip to your participants, and provides their family the whereabouts of the group. If something happens, they will know what they should say when calling for help.

In a write-up, these are the common things I include:

Routes

Which trails will we take? Where is the starting point and where is the end point? Is it a turn-around, point-to-point, or a loop? If we need to bushwhack, what is the general plan?

Many unexpected things happen in the backcountry, you need to plan alternative routes and bail-out routes: (You don’t have to include this information in your write-up – at least I don’t – but you have to keep it somewhere in mind.)

The water is too high for the group to cross a river.
The pace of the group is slower than you expected.
Your participant is injured, so you have to abort the trip.

Terrain / Elevation Change / Distance / Potential hazards

Is the terrain flat, steep, rough, exposed, slippery or …?
How long is the hike for each day?
How much elevation gain and loss will we have?
Will there be many stream crossings? Are they difficult?
Will there be many road crossings? Is the traffic busy?
Will we hike above the tree lines much and need to pay attention to lightening?
What kind of wild animals might we encounter?

People care about elevation change more than the total distance. I usually use software to generate an elevation profile since a graph is more explanatory than words.

Camps / Water

Where will we camp for each night?
Will we have water at the campsite?
Will we have water along the trail?

Meeting Time and Places / Driving Directions

These items are self-explanatory. Also, if we are doing a point-to-point backpack, we might need shuttle service or spot several cars at the end point and maybe one at a bail-out point.

※Other Matters

Conditions

As the trip approaches, we should pay close attention to weather conditions, especially in winter time – driving might become difficult, trail conditions will vary. Check weather reports, call local outfitters, and ask local hiking clubs to check recent conditions.

Car-pooling

This is not obligatory but is definitely a nice thing to arrange. Usually based on the screening forms gathered from the participants, the leader will have ideas about the geological locations of the participants and therefore can help arrange car-pooling.

※Conclusion

I believe I included everything (everything which is not included is in the “unexpected” part) but feel free to tell me what unexpected things should be expected.


這個週末，又要帶隊了，在Catskills，是一個兩天一夜的登山健行之旅。當然，這次也不例外的，寫了一份行前計畫書。一邊寫，一邊想，也許應該來聊聊策劃戶外活動的過程，因此，這篇文章就誕生了！在寫這篇文章的時候，心裡想的活動型態，主要針對二到五天的backpacking行程，當然，一些基本的概念，對於別種活動型態，還是可以說的通的。

※行前的功課

展開行前的調查之前，我總是會先想想自己的能力，自己對這次行程的期望等等。總必須先確定自己會高高興興地上路，平平安安的回家，同時，還行有餘力可以擔負領隊的任務，要不然，這個旅行不成為眾人的夢魘才怪。（基本上，我隸屬的登山團體AMC鼓勵領隊至少要保留百分之十五到二十的實力，以防任何不測發生。

一旦確定自己應該是沒問題了，這才是翻開日曆，排出空檔的時候。而，接下來，我會針對下列議題，做行前的功課：

1. 行程內容與期望

要去哪裡？

要去國家公園？州立公園？還是州立森林管轄區？想去的地方，離家不遠，還是要坐飛機？
（我曾經撰文討論美國東岸backpacking的一些去處，可以參考此連結：上、下）

目的地的天候狀況？

雨、雪降得多不多？氣溫大概是怎樣？

活動的型態為何？

是三季還是冬季登山？

如果是三季：是春回大地，路面滿是初融的新雪，或是尚未融化的冰霜，導致步道泥濘不堪或是濕滑難行？還是天氣正式暖濕，蟲子都跑出來騷擾溫血的哺乳動物？所以還是帶頂帳棚，不要只帶張雨布，另外還得帶些防蚊液。

如果是冬季登山：是初冬、深冬還是晚冬？需要雪鞋嗎？衣服足夠嗎？

行程的難度為何？

難度的衡量通常需要考慮以下三大因子：距離、步道狀況、以及垂直距離（另外，當然還有一些隱藏因子）。衡量難度的時候，最好和行程時間的估算，一起考慮。

一個經驗法則，告訴我們這樣估計行程的時間：先假設一個小時可以走兩英里，每攀登1000英尺的高度，或是下降2000英尺的高度，就多加一個小時。基本上，這個法則在估算普通的三季行程，表現尚可，但是在計算冬季的行走時間，通常就過份低估了。冬天，因為無法預料雪況或是冰霜的情形，在計算時間的時候，還是打鬆一點比較恰當，寧願提早到達紮營處，也不要摸黑行走。

每天大概花多少時間在路上？

知道日出日落的大概時間，加上恰當的時間估算，可以避免夜晚摸黑行走的可能。當然如果你計畫早起攻頂，或是喜歡月光漫步，又是另當別論。

上文提到的經驗法則只告訴你花再行走上的行間，所以你還要估量各種休息需要花的時間（包括吃、喝、拉、撒、換衣裳等等），另外再丟些時間進去預備緩衝。

這次的行程有什麼特別的地方？

對我來說，只要在戶外過夜就是夠好的理由了。不過有時候，人們還是希望有一個比較具體的目標，像是聽聽當地的歷史、生態故事，勘查一些飛機失事的地點，收集一些攻頂記錄等等。

本來我是不怎麼留心，到底攻了哪些山頂，走了哪些步道。慢慢地，結識愈來愈多山峰收集者、一次性步道完成者（thru-hikers）和區段性長步道完成者（section-hikers），我開始留意自己走過的痕跡。發現我已經收集十來座Catskills的山峰，阿帕拉契步道也走了大概超過三百英里了（雖說阿帕拉契並不是我最愛的步道），也許那一天我會來個三冠王也說不定（完成PCT、CDT、以及AT）。

2. 其他資訊

許可和規範

申請入山入園許可，以及調查各地的規範，算是行前計畫比較無聊的一部份，可，沒有它們還真不行。基本上，許可和規範之所以存在，也是為了防範旅行者過份使用天然資源，既然大家都是戶外活動的愛好者，想必也分享愛護自然的一份心意，所以還是讓我們好好地遵守這些規定。

許可早申請總是比較好，很多熱門的地方，可還是要爬很長的隊伍，才輪得到呢！

除了Leave No Trace的原則以外，各地會有不同的規範，行前記得閱讀步道導覽手冊，或是打電話問一下管理當局以免誤觸法網。舉一些在東岸曾經遇到的一些規範的例子：

不要在山屋連續逗留兩天以上。
一次性步道完成者，有使用山屋的優先權。
在Catskill山區，不可以在超過3500英尺的高度紮營（冬季除外）。

狩獵季節

登山者和狩獵者必須分享戶外資源。如果你決定在狩獵季節成行，記得穿戴亮橘色的裝備，背心、背包套、帽子都好。當然，最乾脆的就是別再狩獵季節上山，尤其是再來福槍狩獵的季節。

當地的醫院、急救措施、急難救助

最好是都不會需要用到這些資訊，不過，不怕一萬只怕萬一，這些資訊還是等準備好。在野外，可不是打個電話，救護車幾分鐘就會到達。若是熟悉最近的尋求援助的地點，才可以策劃出最佳化的撤退途徑。

※行前計畫書

基本上，除了裝備列表和screening調查表，我總是提供參加者一份詳細的行前計畫書。除了幫助參加者進入狀況，萬一意外發生，參加者的家人也知道如何指引搜救隊前往救援。

行前計畫書中，通常會描述以下資訊：

路徑

會使用到哪些步道？起點為何，終點又為何？是折返行程、點對點行程還是環狀行程？如果需要開路，大概的計畫又是如何？

在野外，總是可能會發生計畫外的狀況，行程需要考慮這個可能性，準備備案或是撤退路線。（你不一定需要在行前計畫書中，詳細條列備案或是撤退路線，但是，一定要記得在腦海裡先沙盤推演一番）

一些計畫外的狀況像是：
河水高漲，難以穿越。
團隊行走的速度遠不如預期。
團員受傷，必須放棄行程。

路況 / 高度改變 / 距離 / 危險因子

路況是平坦、坎坷、曝曬、濕滑、還是 …？
每天大概涵蓋多少距離？
每天要爬多少高度，下降多少高度？
要渡幾條河流小溪？難度為何？
步道會穿過公路嗎？公路的交通忙不忙？
會常找不到遮蔽物，需要對雷陣雨特別提高警覺嗎？
會看到哪些野外動物？

一般來說，參加者對高度改變的關心程度，遠比總共涵蓋的距離為多。基本上，我會使用軟體繪製地形剖面圖，並佐以文字，讓參加者有較佳的概念。

紮營處 / 飲水

會在哪裡紮營？
紮營的地方離水源近不近？
行走的時候，飲水的取得會不會成為問題？

集合時間、地點 / 開車路線

這些大概不需多做解釋。要注意的是，如果行程為點對點的登山路線，可能需要安排接送服務，或是在終點停妥足夠的車輛，有時，以防萬一，可以在撤退點也安排一輛。

※其他

天候

隨著出發時間的接觸，需要密切注意當地天候的狀況，尤其是冬季 – 開車可能變得較危險？步道的路況也會變好變差。上網調查一下天氣預報，打個電話到當地的戶外裝備店，或是詢問當地的登山協會都是不錯的方式。

共乘

安排共乘不是領隊的義務。不過，由於領隊比較熟知隊員的居住地點，出發時間，通常會協助參加者共乘，節省資源的浪費。

※結語

基本上，除了「不可預期」的因子，我盡我的努力盡量面面俱到，如果你認為有哪些「不可預期」應該歸類為可以預期的要點，請讓我知道。