How to overcome water obstacles. Crossing over water barriers. a) complete combustion of gas

The most common obstacle is a water barrier. To ensure safety when overcoming it, it is important to be able to choose a place and

v- crossing method. If you have a map, you can preliminarily determine the direction and speed of the river, its width, depth, nature of the banks, the presence of bridges, crossings, fords. Conventionally, rivers can be divided into three groups: flat, swampy and mountainous.

plain- flow in shallow valleys with a water surface slope of up to 0.2 m per kilometer. Their channel is wide, the current is calm, slow. The bottom is composed of soft, easily eroded rocks.

marsh- flow in the tundra and low wetlands.

Mountain- flow in mountain gorges with a slope of the water surface from 1 to 100 m per kilometer. The bottom is hard, rocky, the current is swift,

stormy, uneven, rapids.

Depending on the nature of the water barrier, the way to overcome it is chosen. To cross water barriers, it is necessary to choose the narrowest sections of the watercourse. The main ways to overcome water barriers are the following: with the help of crossings, swimming, wade, on boats, etc.

Overcoming water barriers with the help of crossings. Small water obstacles can be overcome on ready-made bridges and masonry (laundry). The first to go is an experienced rescuer "light", insured with a rope, with a pole in his hands. The greatest danger is movement without railings, on wet, unstable, icy, snow-covered, rocking surfaces, or surfaces covered with water. The first rescuer, having overcome the water barrier, participates in the installation of railings (rope, wooden) and helps all members of the group.

In the absence of a ready-made crossing (luggage), it can be quickly built by laying a tree across a water barrier. For this purpose, a tree standing on the shore is selected, preferably with a natural slope towards the water. Its height should be greater than the width of the river. The tree can be cut down or felled in compliance with safety measures.

You need to cross the logs one at a time, and the transition itself must be protected by railings (rope or wooden). Special attention it is necessary to pay attention to safety issues when moving on wet, slippery, swaying, loose logs.

Sometimes a water barrier can be overcome through natural traffic jams and blockages, which are formed as a result of the accumulation of trees, branches, and debris. In this case, you should carefully move along the top of the rubble, constantly checking each place with your foot and removing obstacles. The danger with such a movement lies in the likelihood of falling through and falling into the water. After carrying out reconnaissance of the blockage, choosing a route and installing railings, the whole group carries out the crossing.

One of the main conditions for safety in the process of overcoming water barriers is the preservation of dry clothes and shoes, as well as food, equipment, communications, and weapons. In the cold season, this requirement is of particular importance.

To keep clothes, shoes and other items dry, wrap them in a waterproof cloth and tie it with a strong knot. The bundle can be mounted on a makeshift raft, held in your hand above your head, or sailed with it.

Overcoming water obstacles by swimming. One of the ways to overcome water obstacles is to swim across. To ensure safety in this case, it is necessary to swim well breaststroke, front crawl, on the side, on the back, alternate swimming styles, be able to stay on the water with one hand raised above the head, in which there are things, push a raft, a log or a bundle of clothes in front of you, swim in clothes and with equipment.

A convenient and safe place to swim through a water barrier is a deep area without whirlpools, rapids, stones and trees sticking out of the water. You need to swim at an angle to the current, taking into account the natural drift down the river. You should not overcome the power of the water flow along the shortest path - this will lead to a significant loss of time and effort.

An important indicator of safety when crossing a swim is the flow of the river. At a speed of up to 0.5 m/s, it is considered weak, at a speed of 0.6 - 1.0 m/s - medium, 1.0 - 2.0 m / s - fast. To determine the speed of the river flow, measure the distance between two objects (stones, trees, stakes) on the bank. Then throw a floating object into the water and measure the time it takes for it to swim the marked distance. Dividing the distance (m) by the time (s) determines the speed of the river. The speed of the river flow affects the amount of drift of a floating person, which can be determined by the formula:

where X– drift value, m; v is the speed of the river flow, m/s; S- river width, m; V– swimming speed, m/s.

For example, with a river width of 100 m, a current speed of 1 m/s and a swimming speed of 0.5 m/s, the drift value will be 200 m. Knowing the drift value has importance from the point of view of safety, since it allows you to quite accurately determine the place of exit from the water on the opposite bank. It is safe to swim without improvised means to cross rivers 50-70 m wide at a current speed of up to 1 m / s.

In case of melting in clothes, it is necessary to release the waist belt, turn out the pockets, unfasten the buttons on the sleeves and collar, remove the shoes and put them under the belt, seal the contents of the duffel bag (backpack), lay and fasten over the duffel bag (backpack) tools. Sometimes a rope attached to the swimmer's back can be used for insurance. With this arrangement, a person can be pulled out of the water face up.

You need to enter the fast-flowing water stream backwards, lie down on your back and swim. You can not abruptly enter and jump into the water. Whirlpools are of particular danger, there are several junctions water streams(currents), waves. If a person has fallen into a whirlpool, then he must take a deep breath, dive and swim to the side under water. On the surface of the water, this is much more difficult due to high speed currents.

In reservoirs with large breakers, you need to swim towards the shore in the hollows between the waves. If the wave moves directly towards the person, then it is necessary to dive under its crest, and when it passes, swim further.

Dangerous are swirling waves that can capture a person with an outgoing current. In this case, you should not swim against the current, you should try to get ashore with the next advancing wave.

One of the ways to overcome water obstacles by swimming is associated with the use of animals (horses). In this case, you can, having freed your legs from the stirrups, hold both directly on the neck, mane, tail of the horse, and on special harnesses. It is necessary to cross at an angle against the current, without interfering with the animal itself choosing the path in a given direction.

Additional safety when swimming is provided by improvised watercraft, such as a log, a board, a wooden shield, a cape stuffed with floating material, bags of straw and bark, bundles of reeds, reeds, branches, a raft. When crossing a raft, you can row with your hands, boards, poles, a shovel, an oar, drag the raft itself with a rope.

The nature of the water barrier can be determined by outward signs(the noise of water, the presence of foam, the speed of the watercourse of the wave and whirlpool, the knock of moving stones on the bottom of the river). The number of pitfalls in the riverbed can be judged by breakers. If the breaker does not move relative to the channel, but only slightly pulsates on the surface of the water in the same place, then this fact indicates the presence of a stone.

Overcoming water barriers. Water barriers can be waded. For this, a place is chosen, preferably in shallow areas of calm water. Safety is achieved by carefully following each step, using a pole to feel the bottom, moving along a shallow or rift. On the fast water it is necessary to rest against the pole from the side of its pressure. It is not recommended to look at the water due to possible dizziness and loss of balance; look at the place of exit from the water.

It is considered relatively safe to ford a river in a group of two or more people. Two rescuers stand on the river bank facing each other, put their hands on their shoulders and move in the water. Several rescuers line up or form a circle, put their hands on each other's shoulders and overcome the water barrier.

Mountain fast rivers most often they cross over stones. It should be remembered that the stones are sometimes wet, slippery, and sometimes icy. This could result in a person falling into the water and causing injury. A rope railing must be used with the chain to prevent such incidents. A mountain river with a depth of no more than 1 m is considered safe. If its depth is greater, then it is possible to ford such a river only when using special devices. The most favorable for overcoming a mountain river is early morning - at this time its depth is the smallest.

In the case when the bottom of the river is rocky or there are logs, metal (reinforced concrete) structures on it, it is necessary to cross the river in shoes without socks to keep them dry. Bushes, reeds, aquatic vegetation should be moved apart by hand; do not raise your legs, but move them carefully in the water.

When crossing a ford (swim), a danger to a person is presented at the time of entry and exit from the water, because River banks tend to be sloping, steep, wet and slippery, which can cause falls. Under these conditions, it is advisable to use insurance or build steps.

When overcoming a water barrier, wade clothes, shoes and equipment should be kept above your head, after leaving the water - immediately get dressed. This will provide warming and prevention of colds. It is impossible to ford water obstacles with a fast current, the presence of floating logs, branches, moving stones in the water, the inability to establish special means insurance. It is forbidden to wade through timber-rafting rivers and rivers along which ice drifts.

In order to ensure safety when crossing rivers, it is necessary to first examine the nature of the bottom, measure the depth of the water and the speed of the current. You can involve a guide from local residents. Data on safe ways to cross rivers are presented in Table 4.3.

During the movement through the territory controlled by the enemy, rivers, tributaries, streams, canals of irrigation systems, other water barriers will be encountered on the way of the group, which, most likely, will have to be overcome on the move, without preliminary reconnaissance of these obstacles and thorough preparation, without having specially funds intended for this, in any weather, day and night. Therefore, in our difficult time, it is useful to know how to short time and, in compliance with security measures, overcome water obstacles encountered on the way, how to equip the simplest crossing facilities using improvised materials, learn to evaluate the obstacles encountered on the way and choose the most appropriate ways to overcome them.

River crossings are among the most dangerous obstacles. Therefore, before forcing water barriers, it is necessary to comprehensively assess the possible difficulties that may arise when crossing unfamiliar rivers, take into account the number of people in the group, their physical fitness, the experience of the elder and other people in crossing.

Plain rivers are distinguished by a wide channel, a slow calm current, a soft or muddy bottom, often of great depth, mountain rivers - fast current, water level changing during the day, low temperature. The bottom of the mountain rivers is hard, rocky, the longitudinal profile is stepped, with rapids and waterfalls, in the upper reaches the current is swift, uneven.

Seasonal floods and bad weather can complicate the crossing. During torrential rains or shortly thereafter, river levels may rise. In mountain rivers, the water level is lowest before dawn and highest in the evening. This is due to the melting of snow and ice in the mountains. But in the middle and lower reaches of large rivers, the daily flood is late.

The seasonal water level in mountain and lowland rivers differs sharply. In the driest and hottest time of the year, when the lowland rivers become shallow, the high water is at its height on the mountain ones. This must be taken into account when developing an action plan and timetable.

Choice of crossing site. To ensure safety, it is important to be able to choose the right place for the crossing. Circumstances do not always allow the group to explore the water line in advance and choose a suitable place for the crossing. A topographical map helps to facilitate this task. It can be used to determine the direction and speed of the river, its width and depth, banks, fords. Unfortunately, such detailed information only found on military maps. On ordinary, commercially available, there are no such details. Given that military topographic maps at a scale of 1:200000 (1 cm 2 km) have been declassified and chipboard, try to have one.

Approximately determine the speed of the river can be in a simple way. To do this, they throw a piece of wood into the river and mark the distance that it will swim in one second.

By determining the direction and speed of the river, its width, you can find the amount of possible drift when crossing by swimming or using improvised means. To do this, the figure 2.5 is multiplied by the speed of the current (m / s), the result is multiplied by the width of the river (m). This will be the amount of drift. Having estimated how many meters people will be carried downstream, you need to choose the most suitable landing area on the opposite bank.

When choosing a crossing site, not only the speed of the current and the width of the channel are taken into account, but also the depth of the river, the availability of places for organizing insurance, monitoring and managing the crossing. In addition, the nature of the bottom and the stones rolling along it are taken into account, which usually make themselves felt with dull blows on the bottom.

When crossing a stormy river downstream, it is advisable to organize a post to intercept people in case they fall into the water and are carried away by the current. The post is set at the point to which the person who has fallen into the water should be carried out. This place is determined by a branch thrown into the water from the place of a possible breakdown. You can also throw a log, chips into the water. If they are carried on snags, whirlpools or sharp stones, the place for the crossing is unsuitable.

It is also necessary to check the place for the safety post. People on it should be safe themselves and be able to provide assistance. The belay post must be located in such a place that the rope does not cross dangerous places or obstacles. It is desirable that there is a tree or rock nearby that could be used to make a rope.

At the end of the rescue rope, a float is tied. With one hand, they take half or a third of the skein, and with the other, free, they throw the rest of the rope to the rescued (previously carefully laid to avoid tangling during the throw). At the same time, the end of 3.5-4 meters long is left untwisted.

The rope must be thrown to the place where the current carries the one who has fallen off at the crossing - downstream in front of the one who has fallen into the water.

The rescuer pulling the casualty should secure the rope to a rock or tree to make it easier to hold the person when he grabs the rope.

A person who has fallen into the water must know the location of the safety post and, in anticipation of a thrown rope, must turn around face downstream. Grasping the rope, the rescued person must be ready for a jerk and strong opposition to the current. The rescue line must be held firmly, but without wrapping the rope around the hand. The victim should approach the shore, sorting through the rope with his hands, until he reaches shallow water. After that, the rope is used to keep on one's feet during the landfall.

For the crossing, it is necessary to look for the safest areas. At the same time, sometimes you have to decide where it is better to cross: where it is safer, but there is a high probability of being captured by the enemy, or where there is no enemy, but the crossing itself will be more dangerous. In all cases, common sense and practicality are needed. It is not a bad idea to make an analysis and decide where there will be less possible losses.

The approaches to the river and the place of exit to the opposite bank should provide the maximum secrecy of the group so that it can prepare for the crossing and put itself in proper readiness after the crossing. It is necessary to look for a place so that the river bank from which the crossing will go is higher than the opposite, this will allow better control of the surrounding area.

If time and situation allow, then for reconnaissance of the other shore, where the group's path lies, it is advisable to cross to one person and only at his signal the others begin to cross.

In all cases, when crossing water barriers, it is necessary to keep weapons and ammunition in combat readiness, and clothes and shoes, if possible, dry.

Crossing wade. The site for the crossing should be sought where there is shallow water, since in these places the soil of the bottom and banks is always denser. Brody, which locals systematically used, it is easy to identify by the entrance of a road or path into the water and its continuation on the opposite bank. Places suitable for fording can be identified by the following features:

Visible shallows with clear water;

Places with sloping banks, where the river expands and forms spills;

Small ripples on the surface of the water with a weak current;

Water swings.

Swampy rivers, the channels of which are overgrown with reeds, sedges, and algae, in most cases are of little use for fording due to the high melting and viscosity of the bottom.

Before fording a river, especially in places that have already been used by troops or local residents, it is imperative to check whether the ford is mined, to determine whether it is under enemy observation.

The depth of the river and the condition of the bottom soil are determined by a pole. The pole enters the muddy soil easily, in the clay or sandy - with difficulty. When determining the depth of the ford, along with the layer of water, one should also take into account the layer of silt to solid ground.

The fordability of the river depends on the depth and speed of the current. So, at a current speed of 1 m / s, it is quite safe and without insurance to cross a river 1 meter deep, at a speed of 2 m / s, a depth of 0.6-0.8 meters is safe. The shallow stony bottom facilitates the crossing.

When choosing a place for a ford, you need to take into account that it is better to cross the river at an angle of 40-45 "downstream, especially at high flow rates. Never try to cross the river in close proximity to the waterfall. The stream must be crossed where there is convenient shallow water or sand bar.

It is best to cross the mountain rivers in the morning, as in the middle of the day and especially in the evening, the melting of glaciers intensifies and the water level rises.

On small rivers, where the depth is not great - up to the knees, and the speed of the current does not impede movement, it is possible to cross without insurance and railings, but before that it is necessary to explore the path. Reconnaissance is carried out by the "wall" or line method.

For the crossing to the scout team, you should appoint the highest and strong people. The strongest of them gets upstream. It will experience the most flow pressure. The other 2-3 participants stand next to him in one line along the direction of the flow, put their hands on each other's shoulders, holding the shoulder straps of the back packs, and move forward with small steps.

No less reliable is the "Tajik" method. Four or six people, embracing the waist or shoulders, form a circle and, trying to coordinate their movements, walk slowly so that everyone can find the most reliable places for legs.

On more difficult places, the insurance of the first person going first is required. He is insured with the main and auxiliary ropes, the ends of which are tied on his back.

In this position, it is more convenient to walk, and it is easier to swim when carried by the current. When pulling it to the shore, a person floats on his back, and the water does not flood his face.

The one carried down by the current is kept on the main rope, while at the same time pulling the auxiliary one to the shore. Therefore, belayers with an auxiliary rope are located on the shore downstream from the main rope.

In the event of a breakdown, the crossing sometimes has to run along the shore, since the tightly stretched main rope can make it difficult to stay above the water. At the same time, the coordination of the actions of the belayers with the main and auxiliary ropes is very important. While the former make it possible for the crossing current to swim, the latter must pull it towards the shore.

On mountain rivers, you should cross in boots so as not to injure your legs. For stability, they use a strong pole, which rests on the bottom from the side of the current. Putting their foot down, they feel the bottom and look for a reliable support. After the first one has crossed, the railings are pulled up and the rest cross over.

Railing guidance. Even in cases where there is masonry across the river, which is used by local residents, or a reliable trunk of a fallen tree itself formed a bridge, it is necessary to build a railing. If the river is not wide, with a more or less calm course and downstream there is clearly no dangerous places(waterfalls, rapids, sharp stones, etc.), railings can be made from a pole, which two people each hold on their own bank. Walking along the masonry is insured with a rope from the shore.

Rope railings are built to wade across the stones, along the log to the other side.

The railing must be taut, as a loose rope can be more dangerous than if it were not there at all. Therefore, both ends of the rope are tied to supports. The best way trees on both banks.

If the tree is thin, the same end of the rope is tied to another tree, bush or support driven into the ground and littered with stones. A large shrub can also be used for support; the rope should be tied at its very root and secured in the same way as with thin trees. Rocky ledges, large boulders, stakes driven into the ground or poles littered with stones are quite reliable. The reliability of the railing is checked by the one who goes first with insurance from the shore.

The end of the rope, fixed on the shore, from which the crossing begins, must be tied on a support with a knot that can be easily untied after the crossing is completed. If you pull hard on the rope that is tied to the free end of the knot, the knot will easily unravel. It remains to pull the rope out of the water.

Crossing over protruding stones held on the rifts of shallow mountain streams and rivers. If in separate places river stones are located far away, you can make artificial islands. For self-insurance, there should be a pole in the hands, with which the bottom is probed, the density of the stones, their mobility, and additional support is created.

When crossing rocks across dangerous rivers, insurance is always required.

Hinged ferry, This type of crossing is the most difficult, therefore it is used only when there is no other way out. In the absence of a sufficient number of ropes, hanging crossings are not possible. The choice of a crossing point is determined by the following requirements:

The width of the river should be less than the length of the main (unconnected) ropes by 8 - 10 meters;

- both banks must be raised above

water, taking into account the inevitable sagging of the rope;

The shore from which the crossing is carried out must be higher than the opposite, in addition, there must be trees, a rock or protruding stones on it, for which a rope can be tied.

When the place is chosen, you need to fix the rope on the opposite bank. This is done in different ways: you can throw a double rope with small stones or sticks tied to its middle in the hope that they will overwhelm the trees. If a ford is found, the strongest of the group on a thorough belay or swim on improvised means also goes to the opposite bank with insurance, where he fastens the two main ropes to a tree, a protruding rock or clogged hooks. The rest pull the ropes tight and fasten them.

With the help of an auxiliary rope, fixed in the middle, stacks are transported to the other side, then people. Those who cross with their heads in the direction of the crossing are located so that they can pull themselves up with their hands to the shore when the rope sags.

The middle of the auxiliary rope is attached to the chest harness on the back to help pull up to the opposite shore and return the chest harness and arbor for use by the next person, the trailing one fixes the ropes so that after crossing it, they can be removed from the opposite bank.

Crossing the masonry the most convenient and safe, especially in the cold season, with great depth and strength of the stream, stones rolling along the bottom. Usually masonry is found in forests and used by local residents. This is a fallen tree trunk or several fastened poles fixed on the banks. Such masonry is unstable, often carried away by water after floods, so they often have to be done again. Sometimes it is possible to find a washed-out section of the coast with a tree strongly leaning towards the other coast. Such a tree can be felled and used as a bridge. Only first you need to cut off the branches and branches that will interfere with the crossing. So that the tree does not fall prematurely, but lies in the right place, it is secured with ropes. In addition, these ropes will serve as a railing for the first person to cross. In many places in the mountains and taiga along the banks of the rivers there are fallen trees. After making sure that the tree trunk is suitable for crossing and lifting it according to the strength of the group, they begin to work. First of all, it is cleared of branches and branches. To prevent the trunk from being slippery, especially during rain, its surface is covered with notches.

To prepare the masonry, an emphasis is first made of stones or a hole is torn off. Then a rope is tied to the thinner end of the trunk in its middle part, and the trunk is placed parallel to the shore. The thick part of the trunk is placed near the stop, and two small groups are held by the ends of the ropes. After that, on command, both groups begin to pull the stretch marks and raise the trunk. For safety reasons, the senior group must ensure that there are no people within the radius of the trunk, The trunk is raised at an angle of 40-45 degrees to the ground, It is undesirable to increase the angle, since the log may fall, and when smaller angle it will be difficult to hold and direct in the right direction.

Then, without lowering the trunk, they slowly lead it towards the other bank and, at the command of the elder, slowly lower it. If you just drop it, it may break. After the log has laid its end on the other side, its stability is checked, if necessary, stones are placed or stakes are hammered. Then both ends of the rope are pulled to the limit, turning it into a railing for the first participant, who comes with insurance and after the crossing prepares already high-quality railings.

The top of the trunk can be rafted to the opposite bank using the force of the current. This method is also possible for a small group.

To do this, the trunk is laid parallel to the shore, securely strengthening the butt in the nest. Then the rope is tied in the middle to the thin end of the trunk. After that, the trunk is gradually pushed into the river, holding the butt until it is picked up by the current. When the end of the trunk begins to approach the opposite bank, they try to lift it a little higher and push it ashore, pulling both extensions.

The barrel must not be flooded with water. If, during the crossing of the first person, the log sagged and touched the water or went into the water, he, having crossed and tied a rope for the railing to the support, should try to move the end of the trunk higher.

In order not to fall into the water, you need to walk along the masonry calmly, on one log there should not be two or more crossing at the same time.

Crossing swim. To overcome the river by swimming, you should choose the narrowest sections of the channel or cross in places where there are islands or shallows where you can relax.

When crossing by swimming in clothes, you need to remember that the swimmer's weight increases due to

water soaking into clothes and shoes. To prevent excessive weight gain, unbutton the sleeves and collar, turn pockets inside out, and remove shoes.

Such a raft is great for transporting things, but for people it is too small. Holding on to the raft with one hand, they push it in front of them and so they cross to the other side. If the current is fast, then it is advisable to tie the raft with a rope to your hand so that it is not carried away. To covertly overcome a water barrier, you can use a tree trunk. They clasp it with one hand and swim, pushing off with their feet and raking with the other hand.

For camouflage, you can use floating boxes or a self-made artificial island. These methods are good for a small group of 2-3 people, as more of these items on the water can cause suspicion and shooting at them.

On the slopes of hills and mountain slopes one must be very careful. The slightest mistake - and you can slip and fall down. An additional point of support is needed here. To do this, use an ordinary stick. Tourists call it alpenstock.

Sometimes it is more convenient to walk along the stream or straight along it. But caution is needed: streams often either go into narrow gorges or canyons, or are cut off by waterfalls. In such places, you can expose yourself to great danger.

In the mountains, you often have to wade through rivers and streams. The desire not to get your feet wet, to cross to the other side, jumping from one stone to another, often ends badly. By jumping on a stone, you can slip, fall into the water and get completely wet. In addition, when falling, not only damage to the leg or arm is possible, but a person can be caught by the rapid current of the river ...

When moving on a slope, tourists rely on a stick (alpenstock)

It is better to choose a convenient place and ford the river. Wide and shallow places are suitable for this. If there are stones on the river, then the area above the stones (downstream) should not be chosen as the crossing point. There the water looks calmer, but the water pressure is the greatest.

If there is only one person, you need to use an alpenstock for the transition and lean on it.

Alpenstock helps to cross the river

You can cross the stream in two or three, placing the weaker ones in the line downstream. Then the stronger of the passing ones takes on the main pressure of the water and cuts it.

In no case should you cross the river barefoot: you can injure your legs on sharp stones or slip. You can shine in front of the ford socks and put them on on the other side, pouring out the water from the shoes. Before crossing, you should loosen the straps of the backpacks so that they can be quickly dropped if necessary.

In the mountains, if the terrain allows, it is better to go along the ridges. In this case, the view increases and it is easier to go.

Extremely difficult transitions in the forest and taiga in winter time without skis. Deep and loose snow greatly complicates movement, making it almost impossible.

For movement in deep snow, you can make snowshoe skis. They are made in the form of a frame of two branches 2-2.5 cm thick and 150 cm long. The front end of the ski, steamed in water, is bent up, and the frame at least 30 cm wide is braided with thin flexible branches. In the front of the ski, a leg support is made from four transverse and two longitudinal strips according to the size of the shoe.

In winter, you can move along the beds of frozen rivers. But attention! In places where there is a strong current, the ice is thin, you can fall through. Especially dangerous is the movement along steep banks. Often under the snow there is water that has come to the surface of the ice due to freezing (on the shallows) of the water to the bottom.

When driving on ice, it is necessary to increase the intervals between people, stretch or loosen backpack straps, unfasten ski bindings, and prepare a rope.

Many unpleasant minutes can be delivered by the swamps encountered on the way. Their surface is deceptive. Small swampy areas can be passed by stepping on bumps or rhizomes of shrubs, laying a path of poles. It is extremely dangerous to ford sections of the swamp, and only local residents who know safe places well can do this.

The presence of a crossing water bodies- the basis of the criterion for the complexity of the route for a hiker. In addition, routes of this type have the highest mortality rate even among experienced tourists. What can we say about people who are inexperienced in these matters, who like to spend time in nature and travel on foot? .. For them, such an obstacle on the way can cause a spoiled vacation, and if they don’t know the rules of crossing the river, even more sad consequences ...

There are many ways to cross rivers, but some of the methods described in the literature, such as crossing with a noose around your neck or running down the river, are completely unacceptable for practical use.

The most common and easiest way to cross the water obstacles there was and still is a river crossing. The first step in such a crossing is to find a ford. A ford is a shallow place along a river that can be crossed or driven by car. Shallows, ripples on the surface of the water, the expansion of the river in its straight section, protruding stones, islands, and also paths that descend to the river indicate the shallow depth of the flat river. When a suitable place for a ford is found, with the help of a pole, you need to explore the bottom for pools, deep holes, snags, mud, since their presence can become a serious obstacle when crossing. You need to explore the bottom with a pole at least 2 m long. You need to move at an angle to the current, leaning on the pole. The pole should be rearranged in front of you upstream with each step - it will be pressed to the bottom by the pressure of the water. If the pole is downstream, it can be demolished.

Finding a ford in a mountain river is much more difficult, since the water temperature, the steepness of the banks, the strength of the current and the nature of the bottom in such rivers are quite dangerous. When finding a ford in a mountain river, you should choose the narrowest and shallowest place in the riverbed, with the most gentle banks, if possible, with the lowest possible flow and with the absence of characteristic dangers (we will talk about them later in the article). A mountain river should be crossed at a depth of no more than 1 m and top speed flow no more than 1 ms. If the current speed is higher than indicated, even a depth of half a meter is dangerous for the crossing. It is also not recommended to ford the river under adverse conditions. meteorological conditions- rain, snow, hail. This will make it difficult to move and contribute to a very rapid rise in the water level in the river (especially in the mountains). The lowest water level in mountain rivers is observed in the early morning, the highest - in the evening. Sometimes the water level in the morning decreases so much that the bottom becomes visible.

A mountain river more than 50 meters wide can be crossed even at high current speeds. However, such a crossing should be avoided. If you decide to cross to the other side in such an extreme way or the fall into the water was accidental, you need to know the characteristic dangers of a mountain river, which should be taken into account when assessing your actions in an emergency. These hazards include:

blockage - a tree or stones that blocked the bottom of the river;
clamp - especially clamp with an underwater mainsail;
a steep drain - the most dangerous example is a waterfall;
a ridge of stones of the "threshold" type;
large pitfalls located in a ridge;
funnels;
high speed and turbulence of the current, which can carry a person downstream or prevent him from getting back on his feet after overcoming the river;
low water temperature.

Also, a mountain river can be overcome with the help of a ground crossing in the form of a fallen tree. You can find the fallen naturally a tree, or to fell a tree growing in the immediate vicinity of the shore. It is advisable to choose a place where the channel is narrow enough and the banks are slightly higher than the current - so that the water does not flood the log. The log can be replaced with poles, boards, and other improvised materials. The land crossing also includes crossing over stones protruding from the water. With this method of crossing, you should be very careful: choose dry, non-slip and stable stones, think over the trajectory of your movement in advance.

Fording across the river should only be shod and dressed, but without a backpack and other bulky things. You can send them to the opposite shore in the following way: find a ford, reconnoiter the bottom, tie a rope on the shore, go with its free end to the opposite shore and fix it there. Then you should return, with the help of a carabiner or a free knot, tie to the rope for the purpose of insurance, and already cross back with things. If a group of people is crossing, you need to move along the rope in a column or in pairs, one after another, with an added step. The strongest and most experienced member of the group should be at the head of the column.

If the obstacle is a narrow river or stream, then it can be overcome by jumping over it, leaning on a strong pole. A backpack and other things should first be transferred to the opposite bank.

Crossing a frozen river should be done after preliminary reconnaissance of the strength of the ice with a pole. If a group of people is crossing, you need to have a pole 2-2.5 m long while crossing and keep a distance of at least 5 m from each other.

A pedestrian tourist will have to do it repeatedly during a hike or. The crossing is one of the most insidious obstacles, requiring, in addition to knowledge, a certain skill. mountain river- a serious water obstacle.

Overcoming water obstacles - types of crossings

In populated areas water obstacles cross over bridges. In other cases crossings have to set it up on your own. Depending on the conditions forwarded:

wade,
by laying,
on a rope (the so-called hinged crossing).

Place for a ford

A small river can be forded. Place for a ford they choose on the widest and shallowest section of the river or where it breaks into branches - here, as a rule, the current is weaker. A sign of a ford may be a path or road that goes into the water and appears on the other side. Depending on the nature of the river and the speed of the current, the crossing is organized alone, relying on a pole (the sixth rest upstream) or a “wall”. To do this, participants (3-4 people) line up, put their hands on each other's shoulders and cross the river, holding tightly to the straps of their comrades' backpacks.

Crossing streams and rivers

To cross fast-flowing streams with steep banks on a rope, special training and equipment are needed. The rope with the anchor is thrown to the opposite bank, so that the anchor is securely hooked on the tree. Having pulled the rope, the other end is tied with a special knot behind a tree or stone and the crossing begins.

streams and narrow channels with a fast current and a rocky bottom pass over the masonry, for safety net using a railing made of a stretched rope or a light pole. Across rivers usually crossed over a log. With proper insurance, this is the fastest and safest way. To establish such a crossing, one of the tourists, having previously tied himself with a rope, crosses the log to the opposite bank of the river. Then the rope is pulled and fixed at chest height above the log. The rest of the tourists cross one at a time, holding on to the rope railing. The last one unties the rope.

Masonry across the river is a more reliable way to cross. If there is no confidence in the safety of this method, a canopy crossing over water obstacles should be organized, but it is much more difficult and requires a lot of experience and efforts of the whole group.