This lecture cannot claim to cover all aspects of preparation for a water trip and its implementation. This lecture is a statement of my personal views on organizing hikes and touches on certain points that I consider necessary to pay attention to.
Features of water tourism.
I will not repeat the obvious differences between water tourism and other types. Please pay attention to the following.
In almost all types of tourism, except water tourism, a person struggles primarily with himself. With your fatigue, for example. On a water trip, the tourist enters into combat with the elements. Moreover, his mistake (lack of preparation) can be punished instantly.
It is in water tourism that the technical and psychological preparation of the participant comes to the fore already in trips of lower categories of complexity.
In general, training techniques in water tourism is inextricably linked with psychological preparation. The ability to competently, at the right moment, apply the necessary technical action in a critical situation is instilled in training, and in field conditions allows a person to remain calm in such situations.
It is during training that the necessary set of technical techniques for controlling a vessel is developed, and then the choice of the desired technique in relation to a given moment in the voyage occurs at the subconscious level, automatically.
It is during training that one develops the ability to “read water”, to foresee the effect of water on the ship, which is so necessary on a voyage.
In addition, the quality of preparation of equipment, its compliance with the chosen route, and the technical skills of the participants are decisive for the safety of a water trip.
Therefore, conclusions:
1. Develop your technique using every opportunity, take part in TVT competitions. Organize training on hikes. Including simulating emergency situations. It’s better to learn how to calmly leave an overturned ship on flat water (fast current) on a trip of 1 k.s. than to “throw” for the first time on the threshold of 3 k.s. and get confused at the same time.
2. Carefully select and prepare equipment for your trips.
Preparation and conduct of a water trip
It should be understood that for any hike it is mandatory:
. Compliance of participants’ preparation with the planned route
. Compliance of equipment preparation with the planned route
1. Determining the purpose and objectives of the trip
All campaigns based on the tasks they solve can be divided into three groups:
. Purely sports
. Educational, educational and sports
. “Recreational”, educational, “fish”, etc..
Preparation for a hike, by and large, does not depend on its goals. They just have different priorities.
Preparing for a “fishing” trip on a category river requires the same careful approach as for a sports one.
This should be understood.
2. Group formation
I believe that only for sports hikes can a group be selected according to the route. When a hike is declared for participation in the championship. When you need a sports result.
In all other cases, the route should be selected for the group.
An ideal selection option when the route for the weakest participant is completed to the limit of his capabilities, but does not “break”, and the route is still interesting for the strongest participant.
It can be considered optimal in composition for a group where the main number of participants (the core of the group) have approximately the same level of training and, in addition, they are united by common interests outside the framework of the hike.
It is desirable that the leader of the campaign be related to this core. In any case, the leader must have such a level of training that he can also be an informal leader of the group on the route.
If people who are “random” in relation to the core of the group are involved in a hike, they must be familiarized with the “rules of the game” adopted in the group and they must be obliged to follow these rules.
Personally, I am not a supporter of attracting random people to the group, because I believe that hiking, among other things, is also a form of recreation. Accordingly, possible problems of psychological compatibility on a hike are simply not necessary.
Namely, on routes of low categories with little experience of participants who have not yet been “worn out” by hiking life, these problems are most likely.
3. Selecting a route and elaborating it.
I repeat: all members of the group must be ready for the chosen route, technically, psychologically, physically, tactically. Some may be at the limit of their capabilities, but everyone must be ready at the start. The methods of preparation are simple - training, participation in competitions, developing techniques, studying theory.
Equipment must also be prepared for the chosen route, fully corresponding to the route and level of training of the participants.
The timing of the route is determined by many factors and is decided by groups based on their preferences. Example: in Karelia at the beginning of June the water level on most rivers is quite high and sports rafting is interesting. There is usually good fishing there in July, but skinning is possible on the rapids.
Preparation for the trip includes:
. Collection and analysis of information about the hiking area, the main rafting and reserve rivers.
. Search and preparation of cartographic material
. Detailed elaboration of the route (including in tactical terms)
. Adjustment of requirements for participants, equipment, food, elimination of identified inconsistencies.
. Adoption of the final plan for the main trip and backup options
. Registration of a trip to the ICC
A few words about the points listed above:
There are currently no problems with searching for material based on hiking areas, specific routes, or cartographic material. The Internet is a serious helper in this regard. At the same time, descriptions and reviews of specific routes, rivers, and obstacles must be approached carefully - they were prepared by people with different experiences and different levels of training. I recommend using reports that have been approved by the ICC.
Link to the library of reports from the archive of the Moscow City Central Tourist Club - http://www.tlib.ru/
The route development includes:
1. Study of the river navigation
2. Clarification of the compliance of the previously planned group composition and equipment with the chosen route
3. Preliminary determination of tactics for overcoming obstacles
4. Development of a traffic schedule:
. determination of the length of all day trips
. determining the need, quantity and location of training (if there are people in the group who are going to the planned category of difficulty for the first time, I consider it mandatory to conduct training before the main obstacles of the route)
. determining the number and location of days
5. Determination of the camping diet depending on the conditions
6. Determination of methods of throwing/dropping, as well as emergency exits from the route
Tactically correct elaboration of the route should be recognized as drawing up such a movement schedule, observing which the group at any time remains fully prepared to solve marching problems.
Examples of competent planning:
. The daytime transition is of such intensity and duration that nutrition and sleep allow you to fully restore strength.
. The quantity and quality of training at the beginning of the route allows beginners to get comfortable and gain (consolidate) the skills necessary to overcome the main obstacles.
. Enough time is allocated to overcome key obstacles to organize the passage.
. The participants do not accumulate psychological fatigue; days or half-days are planned on time.
. The parking areas are moderately comfortable, i.e. not in a swamp, there is enough firewood, etc.
. A reserve of time is provided for unforeseen situations (for example, climatic ones, such as a strong headwind on a lake or many hours of “tropical” downpour).
The final stage of developing a route is its defense in the ICC and receipt of a route book. But this is not a goal, but only an indirect confirmation of the correctness of your plans.
4. Distribution of responsibilities in the group.
The leader of the hike bears full responsibility (including criminal responsibility) for the safety of the participants, the organization and conduct of the hike as a whole.
He must have sufficient training, primarily tactical and technical, to be able to organize a safe passage of the route.
The leader must also be able to resolve issues of psychological tension during the campaign. Everyone knows that one “black sheep” can ruin the life of the entire group, and this always negatively affects the safety of the trip as a whole. That is why I have already argued that it is best to form a group of like-minded people.
The caretaker is an experienced tourist who has a sufficient level of tactical training and is psychologically stable. Must be able to create a diet that fully corresponds to the tactics of completing the route.
A medic is the most trained tourist in medical matters. Must know the applicability and dosage of all medications in the travel first aid kit.
Photographer - it is advisable to have two photographers in the group, traveling on different vessels. Photographers must know the basics of photography and be able to photograph in backlight. It is not difficult to learn this, and then the number of normally exposed photographs will increase significantly.
The timekeeper's main responsibility is to correct someone else's or prepare his own version of the river navigation.
Repairman - on most water trips it is more advisable to have a repair kit for each specific model of boat (see lecture on equipment). Accordingly, the position of a repairman in this case is far-fetched.
The remaining responsibilities are determined based on the specific tasks of the trip and the desires of the group (videographer, financier, topographic survey specialist, folklore collector, botanist, fisherman, etc.)
5. Results.
In the process of pre-trip preparation and organization of the trip, it is necessary:
. Competently develop a route and plan for the trip as a whole
. Choose the right personal and group equipment
. Choose the right diet and diet
. Eliminate errors in group recruitment
. Eliminate shortcomings in the preparation of tourists: technical, psychological, tactical, physical.
Ensuring safety on water travel.
Safety is the main and most important requirement for all tourist travel.
The reasons for the decrease in safety and the ways to improve it practically do not change over time and do not depend on the complexity of the route.
I provide an extract from the Program for out-of-school institutions and secondary schools, approved by the USSR Ministry of Education back in 1982.
The main causes of danger during travel:
poor technical, physical and moral preparation of participants and indiscipline of tourists,
insufficient managerial experience,
poor study of the area and conditions of the upcoming trip,
poor route design,
inept overcoming obstacles,
neglect of insurance,
underestimation of difficulties and dangers and overestimation of one’s own strengths and capabilities,
weakening of attention in “easy” areas,
overwork,
lack of knowledge of first aid techniques,
sudden change in weather,
poisonous plants and reptiles.
Pre-entry hazard prevention measures:
equipment check,
kayak,
rescue equipment.
Precautions to prevent dangers while traveling:
regular inspection of kayaks, life-saving equipment and other equipment and
their timely repair.
Practicing techniques for using life-saving equipment at the first threshold.
Strict adherence to the rules of vessel movement,
preliminary inspection of serious obstacles,
organization of insurance when overcoming natural and artificial obstacles.
As you can see, three decades later this program remains relevant.
Examples for the lecture.
About forming a group, choosing and developing a route.
I quote from Valentin Yurin’s report on rafting along the river. Kurchum - Kaldzhir river 1991
(Valentin Yurin is a kayaker with extensive tourist experience, the author of a textbook on white water rafting - “White Water Solfeggio” (download from the Ramensky Tourists Club website - http://www.rktur.ru/files/sol_white_water.pdf))
While rafting along this link of rivers, part of the group left the route after the third (out of five) gorge of the Kaldzhir River. Quote:
“...The re-formation of the group and its result clearly showed what a group should and should not be like for a serious route. The group that started in the 4th gorge was not part of the group that walked along the first part of the route; it was a completely different group, with a qualitatively different structure, training and capabilities. It was Kaldzhir that became for me a turning point on the path from catamaran school to kayaks, from the herd psychology traditional for our tourism - to the formation of each participant as an individual “combat unit” and building a group of these individuals. It was at Kaldzhir that I realized that the concepts of group, collective, society, which are considered sacred and immutable priorities in the domestic tourist school, are in fact secondary in relation to the concept of personality, and not vice versa. It was on Kaljira that I finally realized that skill cannot be replaced by numbers or size, that a large group or a large ship by itself does not solve any problems, but only creates new ones.” (See the preface to the report - http://turizm.lib.ru/j....ivision)
And further: “About the division of the group and its reasons.
Four participants were forced to stop the route on the Alekseevka-Gornoe highway.
The reasons for this were the following:
1. The river turned out to be much more difficult than it seemed from Moscow, judging by the available descriptions, and the technical training of some participants and crews turned out to be insufficient to confidently complete the route. Difficulties arose in the 2nd and 3rd gorges, and the most difficult and longest one lay ahead - the fourth.
2. The quantitative composition of the group also did not correspond to the route. In the absence of convenient places for mooring and insufficient training of many crews, it was extremely difficult to find places where the entire group could moor. This forced most of the sections with obstacles to be passed through a long and labor-intensive continuous review, and all difficult obstacles to be passed one by one. Due to the large number of ships, each passage took a long time. It was difficult to find a parking spot in the gorges for such a large group, and the group did not have time to pass them in one day.
3. The weakest vessel turned out to be a four-seater catamaran - the most bulky and clumsy vessel. Constant problems with oversized passages and with cleats were aggravated by the fact that the crew of this catamaran was, as usual, prefabricated, the least prepared and similar.
4. The technical condition of the four-seater catamaran (manufactured by MP Volny Veter, Moscow) did not allow it to continue the route. The catamaran's cylinders were constantly coming unglued at all the seams; they needed to be completely re-glued, for which there was neither glue nor time available..."
Point five includes information about the inability of some participants to stay on the route later than a specific date, about the lag behind the schedule
I deliberately give the example of an experienced tourist who drew a conclusion from his mistakes.
Significant errors. In fact, almost all the conditions for organizing a safe trip were violated
:
1. The route was not sufficiently worked out, and as a result:
. There were people in the group who were unprepared for the hike. Accordingly, there was neither selection of a group for a route, nor selection of a route for a group.
. Inconsistency between the number of members of the group and the route and the use of an “oversized” vessel. It implies poor tactical elaboration of the route (the “we’ll figure it out on the spot” approach).
. Inability of the starting lineup to complete the route on time. At a minimum, there is no time reserve for unforeseen circumstances.
2. Constant problems with cat-4. Obvious gaps in equipment preparation.
3. Insufficient experience of the manager. Not technical and tactical on rafting, but as an organizer and psychologist. Quote from the description of the walking part: “However, most of the participants insisted on trying to reach the Markakol pass by traverse, without losing altitude. ... As a result, another day was spent making sure that the traverse was impossible...” Perhaps the manager did not have the will to make an unpopular decision. Or, really technical experience, only in hiking.
Believe me, the sources of all these problems can be eliminated even before the start of the hike. And if you don’t deal with them, then it’s easy to get a “problematic” trip and cost 1 k.s.
As for the “herd psychology, traditional for our tourism” (text by V. Yurin).
And “...that skill cannot be replaced by number or size, that a large group or a large ship in itself does not solve any problems, but only creates new ones”
The last phrase is correct, precise, but the essence contained in this phrase is secondary, not the main one. The problem is not “herding”, but the inability (and most importantly, unwillingness) to create a normal team. It is much easier to recruit a team of technically trained “individuals” than to prepare a qualified “group”.
In preparing a team, work is needed, and most importantly, not technical, but psychological, work with a real person, work with his difficulties, work, first of all, yours, and also this person’s work on himself.
Therefore, in Yurin’s phrase that the “group” in tourism is secondary in relation to the “individual” there is a substitution of concepts.
Good band created, ground in, sculpted from individuals, and not automatically recruited from them.
An incorrect example, but still - five moral monsters with world-class technology (supposedly top-class personalities) will remain moral monsters and will not create a real team. And some of them can also get off the Kaldzhir River in the area of the Alekseevka-Gornoe highway. They will only pursue their own personal goals.
Anyone going on a hike, trip, or planning an expedition should learn as much as possible about the situations they may encounter and what skills and equipment they may need. Basic common sense dictates the need for preparation, selection of appropriate equipment and careful planning.
Your emergency life support kit can make the difference between life and death, but many people, especially when packing carry-on luggage, pack too much at first and have to learn the hard way about what they really need and what they can do without. It’s not at all funny when, after an unequal struggle with the weight of a huge luggage full of unnecessary items, it turns out that it is missing a flashlight or a can opener. Finding a middle ground is not easy.
PLANNING
When traveling in a group, meet often to discuss your goals and objectives. Assign specific responsibilities: doctor, interpreter, cook, equipment manager, auto mechanic, driver, navigator, etc. Make sure everyone is familiar with the equipment available, and ensure necessary spare parts are available - especially batteries, lamps and fuel. When assessing the speed of progress, especially on foot, take time to spare. It is better to “underestimate” your capabilities and be pleasantly surprised that everything goes better than planned. The stress of following an overly tight schedule is not only exhausting, but also leads to poor judgment and decisions and risks that often cause situations to spiral out of control.
You cannot carry all the required water supply with you, but it must be replenished as much as possible along the way. Water sources are a major factor when planning any route. Once the route is planned and decided, make it known to others so that in case of complications you can count on help. If you are traveling in the mountains, please inform the police and local mountain rescue service. Familiarize them with the proposed plan and indicate the time of departure and planned arrival. When traveling by car, leave the route with the appropriate automobile organization. Before traveling by sea, register with the Coast Guard (or Border Patrol) and port authorities.
Make it a habit to tell people where you are going and your expected return or arrival time at a waypoint.
STUDYING THE SITUATION
There can't be too much information about the place you're going to. Contact those who already know him, read books, study maps - and be sure to take reliable and up-to-date maps with you. Learn about the local people. Will they be friendly or suspicious of aliens? Are there any local customs or taboos? Indigenous ways of building shelters and dwellings, obtaining fire, food, medicinal herbs and water in the wild are based on a deep understanding of the environment.
Study the maps carefully and find out as much as possible about these places: the direction and speed of river flows, waterfalls, rapids and dangerous currents. How high are the local mountains, what are their slopes, are they covered with snow? In what direction do the ridges run? What kind of vegetation can you find there, what types of trees grow there and where? What is the temperature regime there, what is the difference between day and night temperatures? What time does the sun rise and set? What is the phase of the moon, the time and height of the tides, the prevailing direction of the winds and what is their strength? What's the weather forecast?
EQUIPMENT ASSESSMENT
Before any hike, trip or expedition, create a checklist of questions.
- How long will I be away? How much food will you need for this period and should you have water with you?
- Is clothing suitable for the climate/weather and is there enough? Is one pair of shoes enough or should I have a spare pair due to the nature of the ground?
- What special equipment will be needed in this area?
- What and how much should be in a first aid kit?
Your physical condition must correspond to what you plan to do. The better your form, the easier and more enjoyable your activities will be. If, for example, you are going on a cross-country hike, practice and get used to your hiking shoes beforehand. Walk to and from work with a backpack filled with sand and exercise your muscles. Psychological
condition is another question. Are you confident in your ability to complete the task, are you adequately prepared for it, and do you have sufficient equipment for it? Always have a contingency plan in place. It rarely happens that everything goes as planned.
MEDICAL EXAMINATION
Get a full medical examination and get all the vaccinations that are required for the area where you are going to travel. There is vaccination against yellow fever, cholera, typhoid, hepatitis, smallpox, polio, diphtheria and tuberculosis, and in any case tetanus vaccination is mandatory. Allow sufficient time for vaccination, for example, full
protection against typhoid involves three injections over six months. When traveling through malarial areas, carry an adequate supply of anti-malaria tablets. You should start taking them two weeks before travel, so that your body's defenses are ready to go before you enter a dangerous area, and continue taking the antimalarial drug for a month after returning from there.
Visit the dentist and have your teeth checked. Those teeth that do not hurt under normal circumstances may become sore in cold weather conditions. Collect a first aid kit that will meet all your likely needs, and if you are traveling in a group, then all the individual needs of everyone.
To make the trip as successful as possible, you should carefully prepare for it. Of course, there is no need to go to extremes and weigh food down to the gram or calculate travel time with an error of a minute. But even at the same time, going on a hike, especially a long one, completely unprepared, is not the best idea. Today in this article we’ll talk not about how to survive in nature without having anything, but how to prepare for a hike so that it doesn’t turn into a Bear Grylls adventure.
Joint planning of the amount of things and food for the trip
If you are not going to, then it is very important to correctly distribute the burden among all participants. First of all, this concerns food.
Most of the food is usually taken from home. These are cereals, potatoes, pasta, etc. And it is necessary to distribute the weight of food evenly among the participants, taking into account the fact that girls need to carry less. And so that one would carry one type of food, the other would carry another type of food. Let's say one participant will be tasked with purchasing and carrying buckwheat for the whole group. Another will carry the stew. The third is sweets, or, as hikers call it, “nishtyachki.” In this way, there will be a saving in packaging, since if everyone takes a small bag of cereals, potatoes, pasta and other things, then all this will have a much larger volume than the same thing will be placed in one container and will be in one person’s possession.
In addition, in this case, each person is responsible for his part of the provisions and things. And therefore, the likelihood of forgetting something decreases, since each person’s list of necessary things will be smaller.
The same applies to other things. You shouldn’t bring each group a pot to heat up water and food, you shouldn’t carry more than 1 knife for 4-5 people, etc.
The same can be said about tents. You must initially decide how many people are going on a hike and how many sleeping places you need to have.
Don't forget about the first aid kit too. There is no need for everyone to carry bandages and brilliant green. It is necessary to appoint a person in charge, who, if something happens, will act as a medic, or if God forbid something happens to him, everyone will know where the medicines are.
There must be someone responsible for preparing food, lighting a fire, and providing sleeping accommodations. Therefore, get together several times before the hike in order to clearly divide responsibilities - what to carry to whom and what to do in the parking lot.
Planning the route and duration of the hike
Preparing for a hike cannot be done without planning your route. Especially when it comes to long hikes and places you have never been to.
It is important to correctly distribute forces and calculate the approximate walking speed.
Determine whether there are sources of clean fresh water along the route, so that, based on their availability, you can make initial calculations with yourself.
In addition, you should try to find out from those who have already been to these places what the terrain is like there, and whether there are convenient places for halts or bivouacs.
The more information you have, the less likely there are force majeure events in your trip.
Do not forget also that when planning your time on the move, it is better to take the minimum possible speed of movement. It’s better to go ahead of schedule and rest longer at a rest stop than to miss the deadline and rush to the next overnight stop. In this case, most of the group will approach the rest place exhausted.
Assessment of the physical condition of hike participants
Before going on a hike, it is necessary to assess the condition of those who are going to take part in it. The longer and more distant the trip is planned, the more important this parameter becomes.
Enthusiasm is a good thing. But if enthusiasm is not supported by physical training, then no matter how great the desire to take part in the hike, but at a certain point the body will begin to give up, and there will be only one desire - to make it end soon.
To prevent such situations from arising, it is necessary to immediately understand who is capable of what, and not take on a hike those people who clearly cannot stand this test.
It is also worth taking into account the experience of the participants. If not so long ago someone completed an event with a similar load and duration without any problems, then the next trip can be planned to be more difficult.
Ideally, it would be a good idea for every participant to undergo a medical examination. However, this is quite expensive and will not always show true readiness, so it will be enough to measure your blood pressure and pulse. And do not take people with heart problems on a long and difficult hike. Many people undergo cardiograms regularly. Therefore, everyone must understand this point for themselves.
Preparation and conduct of tourist trips are carried out in strict accordance with the “Instructions for organizing and conducting tourist trips, expeditions and excursions (travels) with pupils, pupils and students of the Russian Federation” (approved by order of the Ministry of Education of the RSFSR dated July 13, 1992 No. 293 - Appendix 1 ).
This instruction clearly defines the rights and responsibilities of the institution conducting the hike, the leader and members of the group, the procedure for preparing, registering and conducting the hike. The instructions give a complete picture of the actions of the group leader from the beginning of preparation to completion and summing up the results of the trip.
Compliance with the instructions is mandatory for all groups of students, regardless of which institution or organization is the organizer of the tourist event. For violation of instructions, the group leader and his deputy bear disciplinary liability, unless these violations entail other liability provided for by current legislation.
The instructions should not be perceived as a purely formal document. This is not its first edition. It was constantly improved by experienced tourist teachers in order to assist group leaders, streamline the conduct of hikes, and increase the safety of their conduct.
The choice of a hiking area is determined, first of all, by the goal that was determined for this hike, and the tasks, the solution of which will allow this goal to be achieved. In this regard, all trips can be divided into:
educational and training, the purpose of which is to improve tourism skills. This also includes control hikes, readiness reviews as a form of checking the level of preparedness of groups for serious sports hikes;
sports, when the main goal is to fulfill the standards for the “Young Tourist of Russia”, “Tourist of Russia” badges or for sports categories;
local history or educational, the main purpose of which is some kind of local history observation or research, acquaintance with historical, cultural and natural monuments;
expeditions or complex trips, when both sports and local history problems are solved.
However, this division is very arbitrary, since any sports trip with students must have a local history component, and a trip or expedition with a local history focus includes an active part. Therefore, in this division, the main purpose of the trip is taken as a basis, taking into account other components.
The teacher of the course “Fundamentals of Life Safety” will be interested primarily in the features of preparing and conducting training trips. We cannot rule out options for conducting sports trips if the desire of the teacher and students manifests itself during the lessons.
Let's consider the issues of preparing training trips. Let us only note that in many respects the preparation and conduct of other campaigns in technical terms are no different.
Having determined the list of training sessions along the proposed route, we select an area suitable for solving the assigned tasks. If, for example, the task is to practice elements of movement techniques on different terrain, then we need to look for an area with varied terrain and the presence of slopes; To improve your orienteering skills, it is advisable to have an orienteering range, etc., along the route.
It is enough for a teacher to have 2 - 3 developed routes of educational and training trips, on which all practical problems of improving the tourist skills of students can be solved.
Having developed and tested such routes once and made adjustments after the first trips, you can use them annually. At the same time, being well acquainted with the routes, the teacher will focus all his attention on educational issues, and not on constantly monitoring the direction of movement, searching for places to stop and spend the night.
In the process of preparing the trip, the composition of the group is determined. As a rule, everyone who has the opportunity and desire goes on a training trip. When preparing a multi-day hike, in addition to the wishes of the children, their technical and physical preparation, and sometimes also the opinion of the team, are taken into account. Including a member into a group who is in conflict with the entire group is dangerous. It is unknown what situations these relationships may lead to along the route.
After the composition of the group is determined, responsibilities are distributed among all participants in the campaign. Traveling positions will be discussed further. For now, we just note that each member of the group must take part in preparing the trip, even if it’s carrying out one-time simple tasks. Children who are not able to participate in the hike can also be involved in the preparation. Thus, the leader emphasizes the importance and equality of all members of the tourist association, and the children feel involved in the life of the team.
During training sessions, children become familiar with the responsibilities of field positions. Nevertheless, the leader should once again personally talk with everyone about what and how he should do in the process of preparing the trip. After this, a specific preparation plan for the trip is drawn up, which indicates all the activities, specific deadlines, and those responsible for implementation.
How interesting and safe the hike will be depends on how well the children explore the area (even if it is a one-day hike). You need to approach this issue even more responsibly when organizing a multi-day hike. Every child, and not just the guide, must know the features of the terrain, climate, and the history of the area through which the route will be laid. Much information can be obtained from various literature devoted to the description of the geography, history, and culture of a particular area. In this case, of course, one cannot do without topographic maps. But popular literature does not always contain detailed information about a specific route. Such information can be gleaned from reports compiled by groups that have previously walked the same route or part of it. There you can also find recommendations to exclude any complications that happened to your predecessors. Meetings and conversations with tourists who have passed the proposed route will also be useful.
More recent and reliable information - for example, about the schedule of local trains, buses, prices and much more - can be provided by local residents of the intended travel area. To do this, written requests are made to local stations and centers of children's and youth tourism, children's creativity centers, and schools. Employees of these institutions will help resolve issues of overnight accommodation and meals in the locality from which the route begins or ends. Inquiries to the local sanitary-epidemiological station will provide information about areas closed for one reason or another (tularemia, tick-borne encephalitis, etc.) and about contaminated water sources. Local forestry departments, nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries will inform you about closed (for example, fire hazardous) areas and recommendations for passing through forested areas.
When preparing a hike, it is important to study in detail the possibilities of approaching the starting point of the route and leaving at its completion. Otherwise, the group may lose time and get behind schedule.
On a multi-day hike, the weight of a backpack can be quite large and unbearable for children, so you need to try to reduce its initial and final weight. This can only be done by purchasing some of the products along the route. Therefore, it is important to know whether this is possible. By the way, there is another way to reduce the weight of a backpack - throwing groceries. To do this, some of the products are somehow delivered to the middle or second part of the route. Information about the possibilities of access and purchasing products can also be obtained by making a request.
To plan the route you will need cartographic material. Two-kilometer scale topographic maps are currently commercially available. A map of this scale will serve both for general acquaintance with the hiking area and for plotting the route. For a detailed study of the route, it is advisable to have large-scale or sports maps.
To prepare a route for a sports hike (most often such hikes are carried out far beyond the boundaries of their locality), small-scale maps from 1:200,000 and smaller will be required. They are needed for a general overview of the hiking area, familiarization with communication routes, and hydrography.
Once the hiking area has been determined, we move on to the next stage - choosing a route. First of all, you should determine the starting and ending points of the route, “tying” them to transport routes.
When choosing a route, it is advisable to avoid driving on (or along) roads and railways. This is both dangerous and tiring. It is better to use country roads, trails and clearings. Along the proposed route, places for conducting classes, organizing stops and overnight stays are determined. We have already discussed the organization of overnight and lunch stops in the previous paragraph, but now we will only note that for this purpose, places along the route with sources of potable water and the availability of firewood should be identified.
Having comprehensively studied the area of the upcoming hike, the tourist group develops an approximate route line using a small-scale overview map, based on the general (tabular) parameters of the degree (category) of difficulty of the intended hike, and builds it (the line) along the following key points:
a) the beginning and end of the route, linked to transport capabilities;
b) educational and sporting interests of the group (observation points, etc.);
c) places of expected overnight stays and days;
d) daytime resting places (often combined with points “b”).
Objects (points) of educational interest can be not only museums, memorials, places associated with some historical events (monuments, monuments, burials, etc.), industrial and agricultural enterprises, but also natural objects - a karst sinkhole, a lake , waterfall, grotto, relict grove, etc. Points of sporting interest include such objects as fords, river crossings on treasures and stones, climbing to the top of a hill, mound, to a pass, to a plateau, crossing a swamp, going out on a scree, on a moraine, as well as just forest thickets, rubble, where you will have to move without roads and trails.
For training purposes, sections of the route may be specially provided for where the group will move according to the map or along azimuths, in difficult conditions - through the forest, at dusk, using an inaccurate map, etc.
As a result of the gradual accumulation of information about the chosen hiking area, icons of various shapes or different colors are applied to the overview map (the so-called shirt - tracing paper superimposed on top of the map), indicating point-objects that are in one way or another interesting for passing through them. The route is developed through successive trials - estimates of various route options with a gradual approach to the best option, in which all the most valuable objects - points of cognitive and sporting interests of the group - are drawn on a thread. At the same time, the length of the thread should remain within the limits acceptable for the given category (degree) of difficulty of the hike. The starting and ending points of the route remain unchanged, chosen taking into account ease of access.
It is desirable that the excitement and intensity of the route gradually increase. It is unacceptable that the most technically and physically difficult sections occur in the first days of the hike.
As a first approximation, first those points that the group must visit are selected, and then the most valuable of the remaining ones are added to them.
After the general route has been laid out and accepted, the next stage begins, at which the route is specified, i.e. an exact route of movement is laid out with the definition of planned points of the third and fourth stages and a document called a “campaign schedule” is developed. At this stage of planning a hiking route, a small-scale overview map is no longer suitable; a more detailed one is needed.
The movement schedule and the specific route line are developed sequentially, starting from the first day of the hike - from the starting point. The task comes down, firstly, to calculating working time - the number of walking hours for each day of the trip; secondly, to finding convenient places on the map for overnight stays and daytime lunch stops (water + firewood), thirdly, to plotting movement options on a large-scale map, guided by the WEDGE principle - in short, easier, more interesting.
First, the possible length of the route on the first day of the hike is determined. This depends on the time the group arrives at the starting point of the route and the time the group needs to mark documents, send a telegram, buy bread, visit a museum, etc. That is, it is necessary to resolve the issue of the specific time the group will leave for the route.
Let’s say there is a two-hundred-thousandth map (1:200,000) and it is established that the group on this day can move from 11 to 19 o’clock, with a lunch break from 13 to 16 o’clock. This means that this day will be shortened in terms of movement time, since it is shifted departure time. With this option there are five running clocks. At normal speed (approximately 3 km/h if there are no obstacles), the group will be able to cover about 15 km that day. On the map (on the “shirt”) we mark the initial (starting) point of the hike - C. Having given the legs of the compass a solution slightly less than the path calculated for that day (about one-fifth of the length), we place the needle at point C and draw a small arc distant from C in the direction of the general route. This arc will show us the limit, near which we need to find point H - the place of the first overnight stay. It, of course, must be provided with clean water and fuel. In addition, when choosing point H, it is necessary to take into account all the necessary requirements for organizing a bivouac. It should influence the choice of point H and the location of the nearest (next day) target point - an object of the general route (local history object, convenient crossing, etc.).
We approach the search for the OP point—the lunch stop—with the same requirements. When determining it, it is necessary to take into account the spatio-temporal factor: it must be distant from point C at a distance that the group will have time to travel before lunch. The technology for searching for the OP point is similar to the described process, but now that the two main points of the day have already been identified - C and H, the OP point must be searched near the radius C - H, in accordance with the WEDGE principle.
The development of the route for the second and subsequent days is carried out in the same way. Special problems in route planning (to a second approximation) arise in connection with solving local history and sports problems. In order not to disrupt the working hours of the hike, and not to organize races along the route, it is necessary to calculate in advance the time costs for each such object. If this is a large excursion site, such as a memorial complex-museum, a nature reserve-museum, an industrial enterprise, the inspection of which will take a lot of time, then it is necessary to build a thread and a schedule so that household points are located near them - N or OP, or In general, plan a day near such objects and make a radial exit to them. If these are objects of simple visual observation with a short explanation and photography (for example, a separate monument, a relict plant, a mound, etc.), the inspection of which will not disrupt the daily routine, then the time for visiting them is not specifically planned.
If possible, other necessary time expenditures when moving along the route should also be taken into account in advance and included in the schedule. These include: time spent on orientation (observations, measurements, thinking, reconnaissance), on educational purposes (special classes along the route), on purchasing food along the way. There are also unforeseen circumstances that may also require time. This is worsening weather conditions or illness of one of the participants. On large, complex sports trips, one or two spare days are specially included in the schedule for such unforeseen cases.
The general recommendation when calculating the movement schedule is that more than 3 km per walking hour (40 - 45 minutes of movement) should never be planned (especially for hikes in taiga and mountainous areas); it is better to plan 1.5 - 2 km.
Of course, this route development option is not suitable in any area, but mainly on the plain, where there are many objects and a well-developed road network. In mountainous areas, developing a route practically comes down to choosing a valley through which a river flows and along which there is a road or trail. There, the calculation of places for overnight stays and lunches is done mainly taking into account the relief, the orientation is often rough - gorges on the right and left, peaks, ridges, a river and streams flowing into it.
The same rough orientation will occur when planning a hiking route along a river, since almost always (with the exception of sparsely populated areas) there are either roads or paths on the shore that serve as a means of communication for local residents, fishermen, and hunters.
When calculating walking time, you should take into account the fact that novice tourists spend a lot of time getting ready in the morning, preparing lunch, and setting up camp in the evening. Therefore, you should not plan long day trips for them.
No matter how simple the routes of a multi-day hike may seem, it is advisable to plan day trips after 2 - 3 days, i.e. rest during the day. On the same day you can conduct training sessions, excursions, small radial trips without backpacks.
Thus, starting with the development of the route, we lay the foundations of the hiking tactics, i.e. We determine the most rational and safe path to the final point of the route. The end result is a travel schedule, where sections of the route are laid out by day, their approximate length and estimated travel time are indicated.
Studying the hiking area will help determine the list of personal and public equipment. One of the components of hiking safety is the compliance of personal equipment with the climate and expected weather and the compliance of public equipment with the complexity of the route. At the same time, one should not rely on chance, i.e. that the weather will not bring any surprises. We must count on possible rain, sudden drops in temperature, increased wind, etc. Each participant in the hike must have a complete list of personal equipment and prepare for the hike in accordance with it. Control checks of equipment that leaders carry out a day or two before the trip are justified. Some leaders even prefer to leave children’s backpacks at school or a creative center after checking before leaving. This eliminates the possibility of adding something unnecessary that would weigh down the backpack or laying out the necessary things. During the inspection, the manager notes shortcomings in the children’s equipment, and before leaving, each of them reports on their elimination. This way you can eliminate annoying mistakes that are costly when away from home.
Public equipment is assembled from what is available in the institution, and, if necessary, something is purchased or rented. Children can make some items of public equipment themselves or with the help of their parents.
For any tourist event it is necessary to prepare documents. First of all, the head and his deputy are appointed by the administration of the institution conducting the trip. The order also determines the size of the group, the timing of the trip, and the route. The same order places responsibility on the head and his deputy for the life and health of children and the safety of the event, for the implementation of its plan, for the content of recreational, educational and educational work, for compliance with fire safety rules, nature protection, historical and cultural monuments. When making a weekend hike or excursion, the group leader is given an itinerary sheet of the established form, certified by the leader’s signature and the seal of the institution.
When completing a category route (as well as hikes of I - III degrees of difficulty in the off-season), the group leader submits application documents to the route qualification commission (RQC), which is authorized to consider the route of this difficulty category. The IWC is an expert public body created to provide qualified assistance to the leaders of tourist groups in preparing trips. Members of the ICC are experienced tourists who know the hiking areas well, and check the leader’s knowledge of the hiking area, the route and its dangerous sections, how to overcome them, and emergency exit options in case of unforeseen circumstances. They evaluate the compliance of the declared equipment with the degree of difficulty of the route. Based on the results of the interview with the group leader, the ICC members give a positive conclusion, make recommendations aimed at more thorough preparation, or speak out in favor of prohibiting the group from going on the declared route. The group may be assigned a readiness review in order to verify on the ground that all members of the group are prepared to complete this route. All this is carried out with one goal - to maximize the safety of the hike, because no one will advise the leader on the route.
In case of a positive conclusion by the ICC, the group is registered and given a route book, in which all information about the group and its route is entered. No later than 10 days before leaving for the starting point of the hike, the leader is obliged to inform the search and rescue service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (PSS) in the prescribed form of the hike route, checkpoints and the timing of their passage, and the composition of the group.
Carrying out any tourism event requires financial costs. Therefore, during the preparation period for the trip, it is necessary to draw up an estimate of the costs of its implementation. As soon as the initial data is determined: the hiking area, the number of participants in the group, you can begin to calculate the estimate. This will require some information that the hikers receive in the process of becoming familiar with the hike area and the specific route. First of all, the cost of travel to the starting point of the route and from the end point to home, intra-route transfers, the cost of accommodation (if it is planned in populated areas), approximate prices for basic products that are supposed to be purchased on the route are determined. In the process of creating a menu and calculating the required amount of food, the approximate cost of food per day is determined. When preparing group equipment, it becomes clear what needs to be purchased and what to rent. All this information will be useful when drawing up estimates.
It should be noted that the amount of unforeseen expenses directly depends on the degree of knowledge of the entire process of the campaign (Table 1). That is, the better all the issues of conducting a hike are studied, all possible costs are taken into account, the smaller the planned amount of unforeseen expenses.
If the event is financed by the institution sending the group on a hike, the order approves the cost estimate (Table 1). It is necessary to include items financed by the institution, adding per diem payments to the manager and his deputy to the types of expenses. If you follow Appendix 1 to the order of the Ministry of Education of Russia dated March 29, 1993 No. 113 “The procedure and conditions for attracting teaching and other workers to work in health camps, summer health preschool institutions for conducting tourist trips, expeditions, excursions and remuneration for their labor” (see . appendix 2 at the end of this manual), then the salary of managers is also included in the estimate.
In addition, during the preparation period for the trip, all group members undergo medical control; calculation, purchase and packaging of food products is carried out.
Summing up the results of the campaign has great pedagogical value. On any trip, children learn something. Evaluating their actions, making comments and suggestions for correcting shortcomings means outlining ways for further improvement of each group member. Children see their importance in assessing everyone’s actions, praising them for good work, and helping the team. This helps in developing their life position, desire to continue to benefit their team (tourist group).
After a one-day hike, a debriefing of the participants’ actions can be carried out at the next lesson, but in a multi-day hike, it is advisable to debrief every day, in the evening, when the group has had dinner and prepared for bed. Conversation encourages children to be sincere. First, brief reports from the participants in the campaign are heard on their marching positions, then all members of the group are invited to give their assessment of everyone’s actions, their suggestions and comments. The role of the manager is to create a business-like, constructive atmosphere of conversation and to prevent altercations.
The results are summed up by the commander and group leader. The leader, if he considers it necessary, can explain to the children the reason for making a particular decision. This will be another learning moment.
In some groups, children evaluate the actions of the leader. Is this true? Imagine a small military unit and soldiers discussing the actions of their commander. Will such a unit be combat-ready?
After completing the hike, each member of the group submits a brief written report on the performance of duties for the position assigned to him for this hike. At the general meeting, there is a final discussion of the results of the work of each group member and the group as a whole. It is important that all children know the assessment of their participation in the trip.
After this, it is necessary to process the materials collected during the trip, if any observations or research were carried out; prepare materials for a written report on the campaign (if the IWC has offered to do one).
It is important for children to tell their friends, teachers, and parents about their trip. This can be done by preparing a photo newspaper or organizing an evening where young tourists will talk about their impressions and the hike.
At the very first lessons after the hike, children put the group equipment in order, dry and repair it and hand it over to the leader or person responsible for storage, and return the rental items.
In the case of financing a trip by an institution, the director is obliged to submit a financial report within three days in accordance with the requirements of the “Instructions on the procedure for accounting for funds and reporting on multi-day tourist trips, excursions, expeditions and tourist camps for students” (Letter of the Ministry of Education of Russia dated June 10, 1997 No. 21-54-33 IN, agreed with the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation by letter dated April 15, 1997 No. 3-E2-8).
PSYCHOLOGICAL PREPARATION FOR A TOURIST TRIP
Material prepared by:
MBOU DOD SYUTUR
The success of a tourist trip depends on many different reasons: an interesting, properly constructed route that matches the strengths and experience of the group; sufficient training of each participant - physical, technical, and for the leader - tactical; thoughtfully equipping the group with everything necessary (equipment, food, medicine); strict adherence to safety rules along the route; to some extent - favorable weather.
However, even with the most successful combination of external circumstances, with the most careful preparation, the trip may not bring joy to tourists if unhealthy relationships develop between them. Conflicts in a group can not only spoil the travel experience, but also lead to serious incidents. This means that the psychological climate in the tourist group should also be named among the most important success factors.
The pleasure received by the participants of a tourist trip from the trip they have undertaken, and in some cases its successful outcome, depend on the psychological preparedness of tourists. Psychological preparation is designed to form in each tourist and the entire tourist group as a whole the psychological readiness to act optimally in the most difficult, unforeseen situations.
On hikes we live another life. In terms of eventfulness and emotional experiences, these weeks are often equal to many months in the city. People's passion for tourism, including sports, is growing before our eyes. People of all ages and professions, with different family and social status, significantly different in their cultural level and physical development, are involved in tourism. But interest in tourism plays a far different role in the lives of those who engage in it. The relationship between interest in tourism and other human interests is subject to very significant fluctuations both among different people and among the same person at different periods of life. The range of such oscillations is limited by two poles. One of them is the attitude towards sports travel as a possible recreation option (along with a trip to a resort, visiting relatives, an excursion trip on a boat, etc.). At the other pole is a fanatical attitude towards tourism, which absorbs all other interests and becomes the main meaning of life. Work, study, and everyday life are considered as pauses between trips. The expectations with which a person turns to tourism are complex, multiple and, most often, not sufficiently realized. Not everyone can give an intelligible answer to the question: “Why are you going to the mountains?”, nevertheless, travel in the mountains is gaining more and more popularity.
When going on a hike, people who get into tourism on their own initiative pursue various goals:
Ø Sports: fulfillment of category standards, tactical, technical and physical overcoming of natural difficulties (climbing a certain peak, passing an obstacle of a certain complexity), athletic growth. Moreover, there are 2 ways:
a) go through the most rationally, intellectually,
b) go through as quickly as possible, assertively, subordinating everything to your will.
Ø Overcoming oneself (moral and physical), self-affirmation. Moreover, both those who have an excess of energy and those who have so little of it that they need to prove their presence to themselves and those around them again and again will fall here.
Ø Fighting with rivals (direct (special intramural and correspondence competitions based on the results of the hikes) and indirect (in the process of sports growth, when fulfilling standards and receiving the next ranks, ranks and titles - “tourist career”), rivalry.
Ø Educational (learn to make a fire, pitch a tent, navigate the terrain, etc.)
Ø Excursion and educational (to see some regions, for example, the Altai Mountains, Siberian taiga, tundra, get acquainted with the life and customs of the people inhabiting them, visit places associated with the life and activities of famous people, historical, architectural, natural sites, etc.) d.)
Ø Military-patriotic (go through the battlefields of the Great Patriotic War).
Ø Goals related to the fulfillment of public tasks (collecting a herbarium, conducting simple hydrological measurements).
Ø Wellness goals (strengthening the body, improving well-being, relieving stress after a working week; eResearch data from the Research Institute of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences indicates that to maintain health - both physical and mental - a person should spend at least 200 hours a year in nature).
Ø Communicative (search for communication; for parents this may be a search for new ways to reach their own children).
Ø “For company” (especially typical for the first hikes).
Ø Curiosity is just to see what the mountains are like or to visit a certain area.
Ø Find your spouse.
Ø Rest, switching to another activity, distraction from daily problems, escape from a difficult situation.
Ø Aesthetic (enjoy the beauty of the surrounding landscape, walk through the autumn forest, breathe fresh air, experience the charm of this time of year, praised by poets).
Ø Romance: bonfires, songs, even hardships.
Ø Exotic, for example, contemplation, engaging in various spiritual practices.
Ø A tribute to fashion.
The expectations of people who come to tourism without much initiative on their part, as well as their very turning to tourism, are random in nature, and therefore it is difficult to predict their behavior while traveling.
A combination of several goals is possible, but in this case it is necessary to clearly identify the main one among them. Many equally important goals lead to a chronic lack of time, haste, a constant need to give preference to one of two equally important things, unplanned high physical activity, hassle, general irritability, exhaustion, and conflicts. Yes, besides everything, trying to complete several tasks taken upon themselves, tourists usually cannot complete a single one properly. Therefore, when organizing a hike, the goal should not be implied, but verbally formulated and brought to the attention of each participant in the hike at the stage of preparing the hike. To avoid disappointment, it is necessary that the goals of the group members coincide.
The result of any trip or hike is assessed by each person depending on how satisfied personal expectations are.
Depending on the goals and expectations of the travel participant and the degree of their expression (strength), the following occurs:
a) formation of a personal probabilistic forecast;
b) joining a group with some people and opposing others.
Schematically, the forecast of a hiker can be presented as follows:
Travel participant |
|
hopes that | fears that |
hiking route |
|
will be interesting, varied, quite difficult, but feasible | may be boring, monotonous, overly complex or too simple |
group |
|
will be friendly, cheerful, with common interests | may turn out to be conflictual, dull, disunited |
leader (instructor) |
|
will be competent, intelligent, tactful, self-possessed | may be incompetent, disorganized, tactless, unrestrained |
weather |
|
it will be good | could be bad |
surprises |
|
only joyful, pleasant people will meet | Unpleasant things may happen (emergencies, illnesses, insurmountable obstacles) |
travel program |
|
will be completed | may fall apart |
The above list can be supplemented, but we are now interested in its structure, not details. As a result, the left column (with all possible additions) forms a positive model of the situation in the human mind, and the right column forms a negative one. For each person, both models are formed on the basis of life experience and largely depend on personal characteristics.
When faced with reality, a person evaluates it and compares it with both models. This happens (as well as the formation of the models themselves) mostly unconsciously. Undoubtedly, a situation that completely coincides with the positive model (or exceeds it) will cause pleasure in a person. But reality rarely spoils us with full compliance with our expectations. Usually some of them come true incompletely or not at all. However, the overall travel experience can be positive, especially if what is not achieved is compensated by exceeding other expectations. This applies to all points of the scheme, except one - “surprise”. You can be satisfied with the hike, which took place in very bad weather, in which you were not able to see much or complete the entire planned program. You may enjoy the hike despite some unpleasant relationships in the group. And even a not very good leader may not spoil it. But if, with complete well-being on a trip, a person does not encounter pleasant surprises (no matter what exactly they will be expressed in) - such a trip will not bring joy or pleasure. It will be boring, ordinary. A hike that is exactly the same as the previous one does not bring the same pleasure, and often even causes disappointment. The situation can be compared to how a healthy person feels about his well-being: someone who is used to feeling healthy does not feel joy about this. He simply, without thinking, takes advantage of his good health.
But let’s say events take an undesirable turn, and the situation approaches a negative model. In such cases, a person is not limited to simply stating facts. The options provided in the right column are not just probable - each of them is undesirable for a person. With the appearance of signs of their implementation, he becomes wary and - whether he wants it or not - prepares for defense. Behavioral skills (“patterns of behavior”) formed on the basis of previous experience serve as protection. Developed ideas about how to act in a given situation, based only on knowledge and not supported by personal experience, can also be used.
However, if the nature of the danger is not entirely clear to a person, then he naturally cannot oppose it with a certain protective pattern. In these cases, a person is acutely aware of his unpreparedness for danger. Therefore, in a situation of uncertainty, fraught with the possibility of various kinds of unpleasant surprises, a person experiences a feeling of internal tension, confusion, and fear. As a result, in a state of anxious anticipation, readiness for action may be sharply increased or excessively inhibited. Moreover, along with reactions that to some extent correspond to the situation, relatively strangers can also be included (all this is reminiscent of the picture of a false start among athletes: one person breaks down ahead of time and drags the rest with him). Thus, having accidentally become separated from the group, an inexperienced tourist, instead of a sober analysis of the situation, often begins to act hastily and haphazardly, which leads to a final loss of orientation. In personal relationships, the source of violent or overly broad reactions is often someone else’s not entirely clear action or ambiguous statement. The exact opposite behavior is also possible, when in a difficult, dangerous situation a person is inactive and even shows complacency due to insufficient inclusion or complete absence of defensive reactions.
But the objective result of both individual travel and tourism as a whole goes far beyond the satisfaction of individual expectations. Thus, tourism develops many valuable personality traits (patriotism, collectivism, courage, love of nature, cheerfulness, etc.), forms new interests, and contributes to the development of strength and endurance. Moreover, this happens regardless of whether a person engaged in tourism sets himself a similar task or not.
Hiking trips are not only a means of mass recreation; they often require extreme exertion of spiritual and physical strength, testing tourists for psychological compatibility and moral-volitional stability. Much valuable information about the behavior of people in difficult natural conditions (high mountains, at low and high temperatures), in sparsely populated areas was obtained during tourist trips, expeditions of A. Bombard, T. Heyerdahl, expeditions of Komsomolskaya Pravda. The accumulated observations and results of special research, in turn, can be used directly for psychological preparation for a tourist trip.
However, psychological factors are not always taken into account when organizing trips or training instructors. There is publicly available methodological literature on all other issues of tourism, and route qualification commissions and the control and rescue service carefully check the readiness of groups for upcoming trips according to the relevant standards. Each instructor or leader conducts only psychological training, based primarily on his own experience and his own mistakes.
Comprehensive psychological training consists of individual and group training. Individual psychological preparation, first of all, involves obtaining comprehensive information about the area of travel and its purpose. Participants in the upcoming hike must balance their capabilities with the likely difficulties. Frivolity and high self-esteem can lead to disappointment, conflict with the group, going off the route, or even more serious consequences. The above applies not only to beginners, but also to experienced tourists. In this regard, the most dangerous are hikes in areas poorly developed by tourists, about which it is difficult to obtain the necessary information. Often the actual conditions of a hike differ significantly from previously established ideas.
However, knowledge of possible difficulties in itself does not guarantee success. No less important are practical skills and abilities that can only be acquired in training trips that are as close as possible to the conditions of the upcoming trip. However, experience has shown that when faced with unexpected difficulties, it is not the most experienced or physically strong tourists who act best. Often more important is the ability to maintain perseverance and peace of mind, optimism, and to mobilize oneself and comrades to overcome difficulties. At the same time, some techniques of mental self-regulation (autogenic training) can come to the aid of tourists. Many popular and scientific publications are devoted to these techniques, so for illustration we will give the classic formula of self-hypnosis, designed to relieve physical fatigue and mental tension:
“I am completely calm, my right (left) hand is relaxed, it fills with warmth and becomes heavy. The heart beats evenly and calmly. Breathing is even, calm, breathing is easy, the solar plexus radiates warmth. Cold forehead."
Targeted self-hypnosis is best done in a state of relaxation (muscle relaxation), but its importance should not be overestimated. This is just an aid. The main focus should be on conscious discipline and composure. The above also applies to the appearance of tourists, diet, compliance with hygiene standards, the ability to switch gears, and maintain a sense of humor.
A difficult and long hike is a serious test of a person’s physical and spiritual strength. With great physical exertion, attention and memory are weakened, overall performance decreases, apathy and indifference to the environment may appear. This psychological state is especially typical for high altitude conditions, where physical activity is aggravated by oxygen starvation (“mountain sickness”), as well as at low and high air temperatures. An effective means of influencing the group leader on tourists who have lost confidence in their abilities is suggestion, for example, using the formula: “You can go, you must go, you will go, you will go!”
We must not forget that tourism is a collective activity; There are many cases where a group consisting of well-prepared, experienced tourists turns out to be incapacitated due to internal strife and contradictions. Forming a tourist group capable of making hikes of the highest category of difficulty is a long and complex process. At the same time, it is necessary to practically solve many socio-psychological problems related to group compatibility, leadership, management, the influence of the group on the individual and the individual on the group, the formation of a favorable psychological climate and the prevention of conflict, etc.
A formal group is a group formed on the basis of some documents, and is headed by a leader (for example, your SYuTur study group, a group from a school class, an institute, or a production team). An informal group is a group formed on the basis of personal sympathies, affections, and common needs; this group is managed by a leader. Most tourist groups are informal and are formed as follows: several people unite, find a leader from the outside or nominate him from their ranks, or the reverse process - the leader selects a group “for himself” depending on the goals he pursues. Example: advertisement on the Internet: “I invite you on a hike 2 k.s. lovers of poetry and philosophical conversations."
Social psychologists distinguish several levels of contact groups. The starting point is a conglomerate group - a collection of previously directly unfamiliar people gathered at one time and in one place. This could be a newly formed group of amateur tourists (gathered on the Internet) or a group of planned tourists who have just arrived at the camp site on a voucher. As people get to know each other within the group, connections, likes and dislikes are formed, and a certain structure of interpersonal relationships gradually crystallizes. But the emerging relationships are not strong and reliable enough, and are largely accidental. The psychological climate, the face of the group, its traditions are formed from the very first minutes of communication. Some came with a friend, others alone, one was talkative and gathered listeners around him, the other was reserved and kept himself apart. At first, the formation of a group is spontaneous, depending on the individual characteristics of tourists. It is important to promptly direct the formation of the group in the right direction, otherwise spontaneously formed microgroups will threaten to split. With proper leadership of the group, interpersonal relationships will become richer, closer, and richer in content.
Depending on the size of the group, its internal structure may become more complex “vertically” and “horizontally”. As group cohesion increases, a tendency toward isolation from other groups and collectives appears. With “autonomization,” tourists seem to dissolve into the group, and a distinction between “us” and “them” appears. The tendency towards isolation and isolation of the tourist group leads to the emergence of a narrow corporate spirit, group egoism, in which personal and group interests are sometimes stronger than public ones.
A distinctive feature of “similar” tourist groups is their high social activity and willingness to help comrades and fellow travelers. Such groups have strong traditions, the interests of tourists are diverse, and they spend a lot of time together. Continuity of goals is of great importance. After completing the hike, the group does not break up, but sets itself new, more complex tasks. Members of the tourist team are demanding and principled; they pay a lot of attention to training newcomers. Many tourists, even after the end of their sports career, maintain contact with the team for a long time.
The development of the original conglomerate group may also take an undesirable direction if its members strive primarily to achieve their own selfish goals to the detriment of their comrades. In this case, the group turns out to be disunited, and unstable, situational microgroups are formed within it. Existing contradictions lead to clashes, conflicts, and infringement of the interests of some tourists at the expense of others, whose interests are taken into account in the first place. When faced with difficulties, such a group often turns out to be disorganized, in its depths the ground is prepared for conflicts and outbreaks of aggressiveness.
An even more unfavorable situation develops in a group whose leadership uses it as a means to achieve its own goals; It often manipulates tourists, deliberately pitting them against each other in its own interests according to the “divide and conquer” principle. Essentially, such a group is an anti-collective.
When organizing a tourist group, it is not always possible to fully take into account the desires and personal sympathies of tourists. In this regard, the problem of discrepancy between formal (official) and informal relationships arises. The group leader finds himself in a particularly difficult position, who needs to win the position of a genuine, authoritative leader of the team and prove in practice his right to manage people. The leader organizes all the life activities of the group, formulates goals, determines ways to achieve them, makes decisions, distributes responsibilities, gives instructions, controls and evaluates the actions of tourists, and sums up the results of the trip. A good leader of a tourist group has organizational and communication skills, the ability to achieve a set goal, the art of convincing, and when necessary, forcing the participants of the trip to fulfill their duties.
It is necessary to distinguish between genuine leadership and the desire for dominance, official and unofficial leadership, stable and situational, etc. A group may have one leader or several, competing with each other or acting in different areas: sports, economic, organizational, communication, etc. d. It should be noted that in the presence of a single leader, other group members may experience psychological discomfort and be in a depressed mood.
In a tourist group, along with an obvious leader, there may also be a hidden one, who, under certain circumstances, can assert his rights. Most often, the struggle for primacy begins at the first difficulties, when the group leader discovers an inability to successfully cope with his role. The reason for this may be the wrong group leadership style. The choice of the optimal leadership style depends on the composition of the group and the specific situation in which the tourists find themselves.
A democratic leadership style is more appropriate in situations that promote collegial decision-making. This style has a beneficial effect on the psychological climate in the group, but is unacceptable when there is a shortage of time, when quick decision-making and execution are required. In these cases, an authoritarian style that excludes any discussion is more effective.
A democratic leader in his activities strives to take into account the individual characteristics, knowledge and experience of group members. He is not selective in his contacts, treats all tourists equally, and objectively assesses the capabilities and personal qualities of his companions. An authoritarian leader proceeds from average ideas about group members and does not take into account their individual characteristics, although sometimes he singles out several tourists, gets close to them and uses them for his own purposes. Sometimes he is harsh, tactless, and judges people subjectively. Such qualities of a leader increase psychological tension in the group and create a nervous environment. The single-mindedness of an authoritarian leader often leads to significant sporting success, but it is not easy to get along with him. An experienced tour group leader should be able to vary the style of his activities depending on the composition of the group and the circumstances. Authoritarian leadership is advisable in relation to a newly formed group of newcomers who, due to inexperience, are capable of making mistakes. In a “similar” group with established relationships and traditions, a democratic leader, who is helped in this by his comrades, copes better with his responsibilities.
When organizing a hiking trip, you should especially carefully consider the question of the group leader. Not every tourist, after participating in several trips, finds himself prepared for a new role. Strict control is necessary here, since “wild”, unregistered tourist groups may be led by adventurers. As you know, most emergency incidents occur with tourists acting in violation of the established rules.
The absence or excess of group leaders is one of the significant reasons for the incapacity of a tourist group. A group consisting of passive tourists will be sluggish and not dynamic enough. If every tourist pretends to be a leader and shows unnecessary initiative, irreconcilable contradictions will arise. It is desirable that the group has one indisputable authority and several potential leaders who complement each other in different areas of activity.
The psychological compatibility of group members is determined by the similarity of their interests and aspirations, the unity of goals and motives realized in the campaign. The compatibility of a group to some extent depends on the similarity of the intellectual level of tourists, the similarity of their characters and even habits. This does not mean that by uniting similar people into one group, we will automatically achieve success. Forming a group requires time, practical similarity and, of course, a mutual desire to achieve the goal, even if this means sacrificing one’s own interests. On the other hand, the unique individuality of each person with a friendly attitude towards each other contributes to spiritual enrichment. After all, as we know, “opposites meet.” The principle of complementarity (Latin “complimentare” - “to complement each other”) is that one of the partners in joint activities must take the initiative into their own hands, be a leader and lead the other. In another type of activity they can change roles, etc.
The number of participants in the trip is essential. Social and psychological studies have shown that the maximum size of a contact group should not exceed 30 people, otherwise it will be insufficiently cohesive and poorly managed. The emergence of microgroups should be prevented by dividing the group into units with their own governing bodies. Particular attention should be paid to unpopular group members who are on the “periphery” of communication, in isolation. According to some data, the optimal size of a tourist group should be 7±2 people.
Many tourists are interested in the question of the impact of gender, age, professional and national differences on the effectiveness of group activities. Practice has shown that tourist groups consisting of women are able to independently undertake hikes of the highest category of difficulty. As for mixed groups, it is believed that women should make up no more than 1/3 of the group (but not less than 2 people). In a mixed group, a healthy psychological climate is created thanks to an atmosphere of mutual assistance.
Preparedness in the field of psychology is, first of all, clear ideas about a specific mental reality, associated with an insatiable interest in it and a willingness to directly contact it in interpersonal communication. A psychologically prepared teacher should, first of all, have a heightened “sense of animation” of outside people (and, above all, his pupils), and not just verbal, conceptual knowledge of the corresponding kind. When working with students, it is important to consider the educational tasks of the teacher (and their psychological support) as a priority. As they say, if you don’t educate a person, then it’s better not to teach him: he will do less harm.
Tasks
1. Where to sleep?
After several intense days, the thoroughly wet group came to an abandoned hut near a calm forest river. The hut has a stove and bunks for everyone, but it requires cleaning and there is no firewood. After them you have to wade knee-deep to the other bank.
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