Crossing over water barriers. How to overcome water obstacles How to make water crossings

• To cross the river correctly, you should:

• a) swim across the river, use air mattresses and cameras;

• b) choose a place where the water looks calm and ford the river using inflatable tubes;

• c) choose a convenient place and ford the river using a pole or alpenstock.

• Correct answer: in

• a) a bluish glow of the inner surface of houses, sparking of closely spaced (but non-contacting) electrical wires, the smell of gas in areas where this was not previously noted, flashes in the form of scattered light lightning;

• b) a sharp change in weather conditions, self-ignition and spontaneous combustion of combustible substances and materials, heavy precipitation in the form of rain or snow;

• c) a short circuit in the mains, an incomprehensible rumble, a swinging chandelier and trembling of glass in the windows.

• Correct answer: a

• a) contact with each other of several electrical wires under voltage;

• b) touching the electrical outlet with wet hands;

• c) touching a faulty disconnected electrical wiring.

• Correct answer: b

a) complete combustion of gas;

• a) complete combustion of gas;

• b) incomplete combustion of gas;

• c) a power outage in the apartment

• Correct answer: b

• If there was an explosion in a neighboring apartment, the door to your apartment is littered, the light went out, the phone does not work, then you should:

• but) turn off gas, electricity, turn off water, wait for rescuers, give signals from a window (balcony), knock on metal objects;

• b) open the front door and try to clear the blockage in order to go to the landing or to the street;

• c) give signals, knock on metal objects until the building collapses, and then climb down from the window on a rope.

• Correct answer: a

Our next lesson will be about overcoming water obstacles. This may come in handy at the most unexpected moment. Let me give you a vivid example from personal experience.

We went to the forest for berries. Not far, about 5-6 km. from the nearest village. On two cars UAZ-31519 (mine) and UAZ-452 (friend). In the process of driving along the “wolf road”, we crossed a stream 50 centimeters wide and ankle-deep. We arrived at the place, set up camp, had breakfast, set off to collect the gifts of the forest. Toward evening it suddenly began to rain. Moreover, it was difficult to call it rain - drizzle, heavy fog. Declined. The rain continued to fall. In the morning, returning back, we saw in front of us .... Yes, as you may have guessed - a turbulent stream 4 - 5 meters wide and about a meter deep. And it kept raining. Looking ahead, I will say that the creek was crossed by both cars for several minutes without any loss. But… We were prepared and had a lot of experience. And what impression will this seething stream make on a beginner or an inexperienced jeep?! In addition to convulsive forcing attempts, we are very likely to get a drowned car. By the way, none of our cars was equipped with snorkels and had no special training.

Well, you presented the picture. We start forcing. The first is intelligence. It is advisable to have high boots (bogs) for this, or, which is generally ideal, waterproof semi-overalls (the so-called "chemical protection"). Why so serious? Yes, because sometimes it is necessary to wander in the spring, icy waters to the waist to find some loophole for the jeep. If you come back and remember the bottom topography, it's one thing. When you storm an unknown place, it's different. We take in hand the rope with which your friend will insure you. If it so happened that you are alone, or your fellow travelers have no strength (women, children) - tie a rope to the car. This is a safety measure in case of strong currents, convulsions, pits, etc. If the current is severe, tie yourself with a rope. Carefully probe the bottom with your feet. Stones, pebbles? Fine. It remains only to choose a trajectory without boulders, so as not to damage the suspension and engine. Sand? Worse, but not so critical - we feel the maximum firmament. Silt, clay, organic carpet? It's already much worse.

I will not describe the first two options - it is understandable and so, without prompts. I will describe how to act in the most difficult situation - a shifting, unstable day. We hook the cable to the car in advance, wind it up and throw it on the roof or hood - we fix it, in extreme cases - we throw it through the window into the passenger compartment. It's great if you have two cables - you can fasten them at once both in front and behind! It's great if you have a winch! Determine the anchor (a boulder, a tree, sticking out strong snags, poles, etc.) and unwind the winch cable in advance to a length reaching the anchor, or to the maximum length if the anchor is too far. Wind up the rope and secure it in an easily accessible place. Before driving, close all windows and vents - excess water we don't need anything. We remove all things from the floor of the cabin, place them as high as possible. If there is a heater, we remove it, or simply roll it tightly.

If, as in the UAZ-31519, the fan has a belt drive (it spins from the engine), then remove the belt or completely loosen the tension. There are several reasons. Firstly, a rotating fan will flood everything around (read - the engine) with water. Secondly, once in the water high revs fan blades (due to the positive angle of attack and water resistance) can bend forward, winding the radiator cells and the radiator itself. In the latter, I, of course, exaggerate, but I hope you understand the danger.

Whether or not to expel your passengers is up to you, at your own peril and risk, depending on the uniform, age, and the degree of danger of the water barrier. It is possible to cross a calm stream all together ... But it is very risky to force a roaring rain stream with children in the cabin. It all depends on the situation, make a decision according to the circumstances.
Let's go. The first thing to understand and remember by heart is that we drive slowly, but evenly, at about the same speed. If you have a UAZ, close the radiator shutters.

It is strictly forbidden to fly into the water with acceleration! In addition to the fact that you can get water hammer in the radiator, the car will behave like a leaky float. The jeep will first hit the water, losing some of its speed. The rear wheels hang out and lose traction, the car starts to turn. A wave of water will fill the engine compartment, fill the candles and the variator, possibly reaching the carburetor, and, if there is no snorkel, the air intake. Then the car will suddenly pop up, the wheels will lose the ground and it will be carried away for more deep place. There, starting to sink, the car is guaranteed to stand up forever.

Overflows are not allowed. As soon as you see a wave in front of the car - adjust the speed, try to catch up with it (or, conversely, so that it catches up with you). The reason for this is simple - when the wave goes in front of the car in accordance with the graphic sinusoid, the water level in the engine compartment is MINIMUM!

Stops are NOT ALLOWED. Especially if the bottom is sandy or muddy! The reason is simple - a standing car is quickly washed away by the current into the sand, falling lower and lower.

If suddenly you feel that the car is about to get stuck and the depth becomes much greater than the calculated one, do not panic. Engage reverse very quickly and begin to move backward along your path. Attention! DO NOT allow SLIP when starting!

At the same time, take into account such a thing that people say: Fear has big eyes! Namely, when moving forward, you collect water in front of you and the wave, naturally going in front of you, visually raises the water level!

Next danger. In a strong current, the car can turn around or drag sideways. Get ready for it! In this case, you must immediately open all the doors wide open. The cabin will fill with water and the car will anchor in place. If the engine does not stall, proceed carefully. The salon, of course, will get wet, but this is the lesser of evils. After all, "auto-floaters" in most cases, the water flow simply Flips.

When submerged in water, get ready for a sudden release of a cloud of steam! Don't be scared, it's normal.

If the engine suddenly stalled and you understand that it stalled through your fault (for example, due to careless manipulation of the controls), try to start it right away. If the engine "grabbed" - increase the speed smoothly and immediately continue moving. If the engine does not start after two attempts - do not continue further - you are out of luck. You will have to extract the car with someone's help!

On the shore you can try to revive the engine. On gasoline - open the variator cover, dry it. We unscrew all the candles, drive the engine with a starter to expel water from the cylinders. Attention! Do not forget to short the high-voltage wires to ground, otherwise there is a risk of burning electrical equipment. By removing the coarse filter (usually located near the tank), we look at the presence of water. We wipe everything, dry it, screw it in and try to start it. In most cases, the engine starts without any problems.

Diesel is a little more difficult. If the crankshaft rotates with difficulty, we probably received a water hammer in the cylinders and bent the connecting rods. A tug or tow truck is already needed here and a very serious repair is ahead.

According to the statistics of hardened off-roaders, in the vast majority of cars they cannot overcome the ford and get stuck tightly not because of technical problems or difficult terrain of the day, but because of elementary crew mistakes.

Finally, a few tips just in case. If you understand that crossing the fords may not be a rare occurrence, you just need to equip your car. Despite the formidability of the event, it is simple and inexpensive. Necessary activities:
- Install the snorkel (removed air intake).
- In addition, we isolate the wiring. Electrical tape will not work, it is advisable to tighten it in a special mastic. The waterproofing of the wires is not critical, especially if the wiring is intact and not old (without transverse microcracks).
- We bring under the hood the ventilation tubes of bridges, gearboxes, "razdatki" (and other nodes that have breathers - depending on the brand of car). Maybe this will be a discovery for you, but the gearbox or the rear axle have so-called "breathers" - a mechanical bypass device for connecting the internal volume with the atmosphere. The purpose of breathers is to relieve or add internal pressure so that seals and gaskets do not squeeze out. During operation of the unit, the oil in it heats up and expands. If, say, the gearbox is made absolutely tight, the expanding oil will look for a way out. And the exit is in weak spot which are seals. The reverse process also occurs - when immersed in water, the oil cools sharply and a negative pressure is created in the unit. The breather "sucks in" air to equalize the pressure. And when immersed in water, the water will be “sucked in”. I will not explain to you about the consequences of finding water inside the unit, this is understandable to any sane person.

I will devote a separate article to the above topics with illustrations using the UAZ as an example. The design on other vehicles is fundamentally similar.
I wish you good luck and successful assaults on water barriers!

The most common type of crossing over small rivers and other water obstacles is fording a river. The main condition for forcing a river is the choice of a ford site. External signs of a ford: the expansion of the river in its straight section, ripples on the surface of the water, reaches, shallows, rifts, islands, paths and roads descending to the river.

The exception is lowland rivers. Here, when choosing a ford, it is necessary to establish the absence of whirlpools, deep pits, silt, mud, snags, flooding of trees and other objects that, when crossing, can cause serious complications.

Significantly more difficult outward signs determine the place of the ford on the mountain river. In this case, you should proceed to the examination general rivers. Determine the width of the channel possible depth, the state of the bottom and the speed of the current. Then choose the place of approach and the conditional place of exit to the opposite bank. To ensure safety, identify the places of interception posts, determine the availability of local crossing facilities, the amount of special equipment (main and auxiliary ropes, carabiners and harnesses) for guiding the crossing and organizing insurance, the size of the group, its physical and psychological condition, technical training. Only after that they determine the tactics of overcoming the water obstacle.

Crossing a ford across mountain rivers with a flow rate of more than 3-4 m / s with a rocky bottom is possible: for a person - at a knee-deep depth, for riding horses - at a belly-deep depth, for a cart in a harness - no higher than the axis of travel.

Methods for crossing the river and fording water obstacles.

The impassable sections of the river are characterized by the inaccessibility of the approach to the water barrier: steep or steep slopes, rockfalls, canyons, many deep channels, heavily swampy, viscous, muddy banks and the bottom of the river, pits and whirlpools. The river has a large width, depth and a strong current. Signs of impassable water areas are a wide floodplain of the river, a strong current, low swampy or steep banks. Unfavorable meteorological conditions (rain, snow) affect the passage of water barriers. Passable rivers have a shallow depth and medium current, they are forded alone, in pairs and in small groups.

Ways to wade through small rivers and others water barriers.

After choosing the place of the ford and determining the speed of the current, they begin to conduct reconnaissance. It is carried out by one of the members of the group with compulsory insurance, which can be a strong pole (stick) 2-2.5 meters long. The person crossing begins to move somewhat at an angle to the current, leaning on a pole. At the next movement, it is rearranged upstream (it will be pressed to the bottom by the pressure of water). Putting a pole downstream and leaning on it is a gross mistake. In this position, it is not an insurer, it can easily be thrown off by the current, after which an inevitable loss of balance will follow and a fall into the water may occur.

When carrying out reconnaissance and subsequent transitions downstream, an interception post should be set up 20-30 meters (in case of demolition by the passing current). For 100 meters from the crossing point downstream, the riverbed must be free from protruding stones, fallen trees and other objects that can cause injury to a person who has fallen into the water. The most experienced and physically strong participant crosses the river first. After he came ashore, all the other participants pass in turn. For safety reasons, it is recommended to ford the river in one place and along one path. Unauthorized choice of a ford site is unacceptable.

When fording a river, flat or mountainous, the first person to cross must pass without, in shoes. The passer must be able to swim well. The tourist who crossed the river first should be ready to help his comrades. If one of the participants is not very confident in overcoming the water barrier, he must be insured by allocating a more experienced participant to help him. On a difficult section of the river, in addition to the pole, the crossing person uses a safety rope. The insurance of the first is carried out by the main and auxiliary ropes, which are fastened from the side of the chest with a carabiner to the chest harness. When moving, the safety ropes are at a certain angle relative to one another - the main one is upstream, the auxiliary one is lower.

Each rope is held by two tourists and, as needed, is given out. When the guide is broken, the main rope is not selected, but only held or slightly protruded. Pulling the fallen to the shore is carried out with an auxiliary rope. After the crossing of the first tourist, the main rope is fixed to a reliable object and pulled by the insurer at the chest level of the crossing. Thus, the rope serves as a railing, with the help of which the safety of the further crossing is carried out. The movement is carried out with side steps, while supporting the stretched railings with your hands, facing towards the flow.

In case of a strong current at the crossing, before starting to move, the tourist is attached to the railing (main rope) with a carabiner or a safety loop located on his chest harness (on the chest side). The last participant unties the rope and attaches to it. Auxiliary and main ropes are fixed with a carabiner from the side of the chest. Leaning on a pole, the tourist crosses the river.

Wading across complex rivers in pairs and in line.

This method is as follows; two or three to five people, tightly embracing their shoulders, move somewhat against the current. The safety of such a crossing depends on the coordination of the movements of those crossing. At the moment when one takes a step, the other supports it. With the next movement, you need to find a comfortable place for the foot so that it does not slip. It is desirable to carry out the movement with side steps. To improve insurance, the first one in line leans on a pole. When crossing in a circle, those crossing, tightly hugging their shoulders, form a circle and move counterclockwise.

To ford the river, you can use another way of crossing - a column, which is as follows. The group lines up on the shore along the river, at the back of each other's heads. The strongest participant stands in front with a pole in his hands. Behind him - the second, not inferior in strength to the first. Less strong and inexperienced members of the group stand in the middle. Tourists hold each other tightly with both hands. The column, at the command of the first, enters the water with side steps, facing towards the current. The first one assumes the main force of the water pressure. He leans heavily on a pole held forward upstream.

The second in the column holds the first by the belt, pressing him down, preventing the flow from overturning the leader, etc. Everyone insures the one in front. The column slowly crosses the river with side steps. The leader commands the movement of the column. With this method of crossing, a clear interaction of the movements of all members of the group is required.

The following basic safety rules must be followed when fording a river.

– When choosing a crossing site, it is necessary to take into account the approach to the river, the condition of the channel, the depth and strength of the current, the time of day and climatic conditions, the availability of the necessary special equipment, and it is also necessary to conduct reconnaissance with mandatory insurance.
- Cross the river in a place chosen by intelligence. It is forbidden to cross yourself in other places.
- When crossing with the organization of rope railings, move on the side of the railing, downstream, with side steps.
- Do not use loops with grasping knots for self-insurance - attach to the rope railing only with a carabiner, through the chest harness or loops from it.
- When moving in a line, circle, column, the grip of each other by the shoulders must be strong.
- For insurance downstream, it is imperative to set up interception posts.
- Crossing the river ford at any time of the year must be carried out in clothes and shoes.

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 in a simple way crossing water obstacles was and remains the fording of the river. 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 whirlpools, 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 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 with high speed currents. 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.

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 prior reconnaissance of these obstacles and careful preparation, without having specially designed means for this, in any weather, day and night.

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 flow of the river can be 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. The fords, which the locals systematically use, are easy to identify by the entrance of the 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 bank and return the chest harness and gazebo back for use by the next person, the trailer 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 is used 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.