many safety courses under their belt, can quickly get overwhelmed in a stressful situation. In the event of an accident, it's easy to stare blindly at someone who's bleeding and completely fail to notice they've stopped breathing. Olivia explains that there are some important rules to remember during a crisis, and the most common one will help you deal with what kills first: - To know in which order to prioritise actions, remember 'L-ABCDE', which stands for Life-threatening situation, Airway (open airways), Breathing, Circulation (circulation and bleeding), Disability (consciousness, movement, touch) and Exposure (whole-body examination and securing the environment). What happens if I get cold? If you're going on an adventure during winter, you also need to know about frostbite and hypothermia. Many underestimate how cold you can get when you're not moving and forget to take wind chill into account. Olivia elaborates on what you should do if your friend shows signs of hypothermia: - It's essential to continue to protect them against the cold with extra clothing, sleeping bags, windbreakers and more. Give them hot, sugary drinks to increase the body's heatproducing ability and try to create external heat by placing
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hot water bottles or handwarmers in the armpits, on the chest and the back for best effect. The best thing you can do is protect and insulate your friend while waiting for help. When it comes to frostbite, you should keep an eye out for early symptoms: numb skin that turns white and cold, tingling or pins and needles. In conclusion, Olivia says that it's important to keep an eye on each other, especially when it gets cold: - A person with hypothermia stops thinking rationally and may become unable to recognise or influence their situation. Therefore, agree on a buddy system in advance where two people are responsible for regularly checking on each other during the trip. As with everything, there are different levels of knowledge, but learn the basics and you'll be in a good position. That means being able to fully enjoy nature and all the experiences it offers. It means getting out there with curiosity in our eyes, butterflies in our stomachs and anticipation in our steps. It's feeling free and howling with joy as our skis cut through freshly fallen snow. It's about knowing how we can save our friend's life if bad luck strikes. It's about taking responsibility. Sure, we want to enjoy our adventures, but we need to enjoy them with humility and respect for the unexpected.