What number should you call if you have an accident while hiking?

112, the European emergency number, routes the call to the appropriate service. You can also dial 15 (SAMU) for a medical emergency or 18 (fire and rescue service).

Is mountain rescue charged for in France?

Outside ski areas, mountain rescue provided by the PGHM, the CRS mountain units or the fire and rescue service is in principle not charged to the victim. On ski slopes, it may be.

Where can I find mountain weather forecasts?

In the Météo Montagne section of Météo-France, which covers seven massifs, and on the warning map. Refuge wardens are also a good source of advice on local conditions.

What should you do in a thunderstorm in the mountains?

Leave ridges and summits, keep away from metal objects and isolated trees, and crouch down with your feet together, insulating yourself from the ground. The best shelter is a solid building.

Safety on a GR: weather, thunderstorms, rescue and insurance

Before you set off: check the right forecast

The weather is the number one safety factor when hiking, especially in the mountains, where fine weather can change quickly. Get into the habit of checking the forecast the evening before and the morning of each stage, not just before you start the GR.

Météo-France mountain forecasts: the Météo Montagne section covers seven massifs (the Northern Alps, the Southern Alps, the Pyrenees, Corsica, the Jura, the Vosges and the Massif Central). It gives forecasts by massif and by resort and, depending on the season, snow cover and snow depths.
Avalanche risk bulletins: published by Météo-France for the Alps, the Pyrenees and Corsica, they mainly concern snow-covered routes, in winter and spring.
Weather warnings: the warning map shows dangerous phenomena by department (thunderstorms, strong winds, heatwaves, rain and flooding…). The Météo-France app lets you turn on notifications for the departments you are passing through.

On the spot, refuge wardens and hosts know the local conditions well: do not hesitate to ask their opinion before tackling an exposed stage.

Thunderstorms, the main danger in summer

Thunderstorms are hard to forecast precisely, because they affect very limited areas. In the mountains, many summer storms build up over the course of the day, with the heat: setting off early lets you cross ridges and passes before the riskiest hours. If a storm is forecast, consider shortening the stage, stopping earlier or waiting a day.

If a storm catches you out

Météo-France points out that the best shelter is a solid building. Failing that, in the mountains:

move away from ridges and summits, and descend as low and as fast as possible if you are caught high up;
keep away from metal objects, including telescopic poles;
do not stay under an isolated tree or an overhang, and do not lean against a rock face;
crouch down with your feet together, without lying down, insulating yourself from the ground if possible with your pack placed on the ground;
avoid touching conductors, including running water, and keep away from streams and rivers, which can rise very quickly.

In the event of an orange thunderstorm warning, Météo-France recommends avoiding travel and sheltering in a solid building. Under a red warning, the instruction is to stay under shelter: it is not a day for walking.

Emergency numbers

Save them in your phone before you set off. According to service-public.fr, the main numbers are as follows:

Number	Service	When to call
112	European emergency number	Any emergency, in every European Union country; the call is routed to the right service
15	SAMU (emergency medical service)	Medical emergency (collapse, serious injury)
17	Police	Assault, violence, public disorder
18	Fire and rescue service	Accident, fire, drowning, flooding
196	Sea rescue (CROSS)	Emergency at sea, from the coast
114	Emergency number for deaf, hard-of-hearing or aphasic people	By text message, app, video call or chat

The emergency services may call you back from 0 800 112 112: if you have called for help, answer this number.

What to say when you call

Stay calm and give precise information: where you are (name of the GR, last named place or refuge you passed, GPS coordinates read from your phone or GPS), what happened, the number of people involved and their condition, and the weather on the spot. Do not hang up until you are told to and keep your phone switched on.

Mountain rescue

In France, outside ski areas, mountain rescue is provided by the gendarmes of the high-mountain gendarmerie units (PGHM), the CRS mountain units or the fire and rescue service, and is in principle not charged to the victim. The situation is different on ski slopes, where call-outs may be charged. On the other side of a border, the rules are not necessarily the same: if your GR crosses into Spain, Italy or Switzerland, check your cover.

Insurance

Before you set off, reread the cover provided by your policies (home insurance, credit card, sports or travel insurance). In particular, check the cover for search and rescue costs, assistance and repatriation, and third-party liability. FFRandonnée points out that personal insurance may apply an excess, impose time limits or require you to pay costs upfront: better to know before you need it.

Telling someone your route

This is the simplest habit and one of the most useful. Leave with someone close to you:

the name of the GR and the list of your stages;
the accommodation you have booked and its contact details;
your departure and return dates;
a deadline after which they should worry and alert the emergency services if they have not heard from you.

Check in every evening when there is signal and report any change of plan. In the mountains, there may be no cell signal, especially in deep valleys: save your battery, take a power bank and do not rely solely on your phone to find your way. Finally, if you give up a booked stage, let the accommodation know: an expected hiker who does not turn up can trigger a needless search.