Stop, breathe, and take stock

The moment you realise you are lost, your instinct will be to keep moving. Resist it. Stop, sit down, and eat something. Drink water. Panic burns energy and clouds judgement. Check the time, the weather, and how much daylight is left. Ask yourself when you were last absolutely certain of your position. What features have you passed since then? Is anyone injured? How many are in your group? Decide whether staying put or moving is safer. If you have phone signal, note your grid reference now. If you do not, do not keep checking the screen. Put the phone in low-power or flight mode and save the battery for an emergency call.

Find your position with map and compass

Get out your map and compass. Orient the map to the ground: line up the compass needle with the grid lines, allowing for magnetic variation, then turn the map until north on the map matches north on the ground. Look for large, unmistakable features: ridgelines, valleys, lochs and lakes, the coast, forest edges, walls, streams, and tracks. Use your compass to take a bearing to two or three identifiable features. Convert each bearing to a back bearing by adding or subtracting 180 degrees, then draw those lines on the map. Where they cross is roughly where you are.

If visibility is poor, use contour lines and your pace. Count double paces for every 100 metres — most adults take about 65 to 75 double paces on flat ground. Time your walking: a common hill pace is 4 kilometres per hour plus one minute for every 10 metres of ascent. Combine timing, pacing, and compass bearings with handrail features such as a stream or fence that runs in the direction you want to go. Once you have an estimated position, mark it on the map. Read the grid reference: eastings first, then northings, usually two letters and six or eight digits. Write it down. Do not rely on memory alone.

Retrace your steps only if it is safe

If you know your last certain point and the terrain between you and it is safe, retrace your steps. Walk back along the path, track, fence line, or stream you followed. Use a back bearing to check your direction. Turn around often: the view looking back is different from the view looking forward, and it may reveal the path you missed. Count your paces so you know when you should reach a junction or feature. If you reach a junction and are unsure, stop and think again.

Do not thrash through deep bracken, bog, or scree. Avoid cliffs, crags, and rivers in spate. If it is dark, foggy, or the ground is dangerous, stay put. If someone is injured, stay put. Keep your group together. Do not split up unless there is no alternative, and if you must, agree clearly who is going, where they are going, and when they should return. A short, careful retrace is worthwhile. A long, hopeful wander is how a difficult day becomes a serious incident.

Call for help with the right information

In the UK, call 999 or 112. Ask for the police, then ask for mountain rescue. In coastal areas, ask for the coastguard. Speak slowly and clearly. Give your grid reference first. Then describe your location in words: which valley, which side of the ridge, near which stream or track. Give your route, the number in your party, any injuries, your clothing, your phone number, and the time you last knew exactly where you were. Keep your phone switched on but conserve battery. If you have no signal, move to higher, open ground only if it is safe to do so. If you have registered in advance for the emergency SMS service, you can text 999 — but do not rely on this unless you have set it up beforehand.

Make yourself easier to find

Once you have called for help, stay put unless rescue teams tell you otherwise. Shelter from wind and rain. Insulate yourself from the ground with a mat, rucksack, or branches. Put on every spare layer, hat, and gloves. Use a bothy bag or survival bag if you have one. Eat and drink. Use a whistle to signal: six blasts, pause, then repeat. Use a torch at night: six flashes, pause, then repeat. Bright colours help. If you hear or see rescuers, shout and wave, but do not shine a torch directly at a helicopter. Follow instructions from the rescue team. Do not wander off to meet them unless they ask you to.

Prevention: skills and habits that keep you found

Before you set out, tell someone your route, your expected finish time, and where you parked. Carry a paper map and a compass — and know how to use them. Take a torch, spare batteries, a whistle, an emergency shelter, extra food and water, and a first aid kit. Check the mountain weather forecast. Set a turnaround time and stick to it. Practise navigation on short walks in good weather so that map reading becomes second nature. Learn to read contours, use handrails, pace yourself, and time your legs. If you are new to the hills, go with someone experienced or join a course. The best rescue is the one that never happens. But if you do get lost, remember the order: stop, think, map, compass, call, and stay found.