Stop, Assess, Decide

Learn

On every Adventurous Journey something will not go exactly to plan. Most of the time it is small: a missed turning, a slow start, a blister. What matters is what your group does next.

When something changes, work through these steps together:

1. Stop. Stop the group before deciding anything. A decision made on the move is usually a guess.
2. Work out what has changed. Say clearly what is different from the plan: where you are, the time, the weather, or how someone is.
3. Check for immediate danger. Is anyone, or the whole group, in danger right now (a road, a drop, lightning, rising water, cold)? Deal with that first.
4. Keep the group together. Everyone stays together where you can all see and hear each other. A split group is much harder to keep safe.
5. Use the information you have. Your map, route card, the time, the landmarks around you and what each person knows.
6. Choose the safest sensible action. Pick what keeps everyone safe and is in proportion to the problem. There is often more than one reasonable choice.
7. Communicate, and get help if it is needed. Tell the group the decision. Contact your Supervisor when the plan changes or the problem is more than the group should handle.

You do not need to remember a code word. Stop first, keep the group together, and think before you act. There is often more than one reasonable choice; the aim is a safe, sensible one.

Not every problem needs an adult, and some problems always do. You will learn to tell the difference in the lessons that follow.