Lost in the wild – Who should pay when hikers stray?

Be prepared

Even a simple hike should begin with proper preparations, Cai said. “Safety comes first. After that you can have as much fun as you want.”

Cai treks the mountains around the capital twice a month. Each time he sets out, he loads up a backpack with a compass, a GPS device, a map and a flashlight.

“Some young people don’t even know how to use a GPS device and yet they go deep into the mountains,” Cai said. Many mountains, even in suburban areas, are not developed for hiking and have no signs to follow.

Cai said preparation is crucial for amateur hikers. One has to study survival skills either from books or the Web and read the weather forecasts.

But Cai said online channels pose serious risks. “When people meet on the Internet, they don’t know each other well. Their teamwork is weak because most of them only care about the excitement,” he said.

People also need to choose routes that fit their capabilities and, if possible, Cai said they should go with an experienced guide.

As for who should bear the financial costs of rescue, Cai said the country does not have well developed laws for outdoor management.

In many countries, such as the UK, hikers are required to send detailed plans of their routes, members and equipment to relevant authorities before setting off.

This makes their rescue effort more efficient and less costly, Cai said.

Zhou Wei, a professor with the Law School of Sichuan University, agreed. Zhou told local media that the country should enact stricter laws to govern such increasingly popular outdoor activities.

In the Sichuan case, Zhou said that the hikers avoided paying for their mistake by making a public apology. They avoided punishment because they technically did not break any laws.

“People should be expected to pay for their mistakes when their ill-planned outings require a costly rescue operation,” Zhou said.