{"id":298931,"date":"2025-06-17T13:31:50","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T13:31:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/adventure\/whens-the-right-time-to-turn-around-on-an-adventure\/"},"modified":"2025-06-17T13:31:50","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T13:31:50","slug":"whens-the-right-time-to-turn-around-on-an-adventure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=298931","title":{"rendered":"When\u2019s the Right Time to Turn Around on an Adventure?"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Turning around is a skill. The same as navigating, pitching a tight tent, or interpreting a weather forecast, it\u2019s something outdoors people need to know how to do. Explorer Mat explains why.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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I\u2019m a marathon runner and an alpine climber. I\u2019ve had years of training in first aid emergencies, navigation, and mental resilience while in the army. I can move quickly and safely on technical terrain, interpret weather forecasts, and assess snow stability. I\u2019m a professional outdoorsman who has spent the last four years taking people into the wilderness as a full-time job. And, I turn around all the time.<\/span><\/p>\n

I highlight these traits only to give context. When I say, sometimes you need to turn around, it\u2019s not coming from a lack of fitness, ability, or experience but rather an abundance of those traits.<\/span><\/p>\n

Turning Around Sucks, Getting Rescued Sucks More<\/h2>\n

Turning around sucks, there\u2019s no getting around it. Failing is never enjoyable, especially when you have your heart set on a particular experience or achievement. It’s rarely black and white. The decision to turn around or keep pushing is almost always grey. It’s a complex and multifaceted decision, but this is the nature of risk management in the outdoors.<\/p>\n

When and how do you turn around? What are the warning signs or red flags that indicate you\u2019re about to have a bad time? And if your ego comes into the question, just think, do you want to be on the news because you had to get rescued?<\/p>\n

We talk a lot about preparation. But, regardless of how well or ill-prepared you are, a lot of rescues could likely be avoided if the participants realise, in time, that they\u2019re out of their depth.<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong> What to Pack in Your Hiking First Aid Kit<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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The Western Arthurs are notorious for taking people out of their depth<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

An Uptick in Rescues in Tassie<\/h2>\n

Tasmania is a place of extremes, which is why it’s so inspiring. A place of wild beauty and vast wilderness, where you can both lose and find yourself. It’s a place that requires a lot from those who seek to experience its mountains and trails first-hand. It demands respect: from the wind, rain, and snow to the rugged trails that can disappear before your very eyes.<\/p>\n

In recent years, an increasing number of Explorers have learnt that respect the hard way.<\/p>\n

This hiking season in Tasmania has seen the continuation of a disturbing trend \u2013 a huge uptick in the number of rescues, and unfortunately, even deaths. It\u2019s left the community shaking their heads and wondering what\u2019s to be done. While this is indicative of more people enjoying the outdoors, it\u2019s also a case of \u2018You don\u2019t know what you don\u2019t know\u2019. It\u2019s high time we create a culture of skill sharing, and those of us who are able to communicate important lessons should do so.<\/p>\n

Read more: <\/strong>How To Use a PLB<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

But I Want to Push Myself<\/h2>\n

If you aspire to do regular adventures or anything impressive in the outdoors, learning to manage risk is critical. In essence, risk management is looking at a situation and weighing up all of the factors to determine whether you have enough of a safety margin to achieve what you set out to do. It\u2019s never ok to have no safety margin.<\/p>\n

Pushing yourself in the outdoors is a beautiful thing, something I frequently do myself and encourage others to as well. But if you\u2019re out there pushing yourself, the odds are good that you\u2019ll find your limit eventually. More often than not, learning where that line is requires a hard lesson, and this is where the preparation aspect comes in. If you have accidentally gone too far, it\u2019s important that you have the right equipment and skills to look after yourself.<\/p>\n

But an occasion to turn around doesn\u2019t only arrive during some groundbreaking adventure. Sometimes it\u2019s the benign adventures, close to the road, that bring people unstuck. So, what are the warning signs to consider when you\u2019re heading out that can put you in a good position to make the right decisions?<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong> Knowing When to Call It<\/a><\/p>\n

Time to Turn Around Red Flags<\/h2>\n

Below are a few examples of red flags that you need to be on the lookout for. These examples are based in Tasmania; however, they can and should be applied to adventures everywhere. While these red flags are not reasons in themselves to turn around, they are warning signs. In this case, they\u2019re a warning that if something else goes awry, you may be in trouble. It all comes back to that safety margin. Once you\u2019ve identified a red flag, your safety margin has significantly decreased; you need to be aware of that and act accordingly.<\/p>\n

1. The Weather is Worse Than You Expected<\/h3>\n

Knowing what the weather is doing when you\u2019re heading out is step one in any adventure. Wind, rain, and snow aren\u2019t reasons to stay at home, but they are things you need to be prepared for.<\/p>\n

Scenario:<\/strong> You\u2019ve prepared well for a trip up Cradle Mountain. You\u2019ve checked the weather \u2013 it\u2019s a bit rainy and windy, but it doesn\u2019t look too bad. You\u2019ve brought a raincoat and a fleece jumper, along with the rest of your gear, and you feel prepared to endure the weather. As you begin to climb the mountain, you realise that the wind is much stronger than you thought it\u2019d be and the rock is quite wet and slippery. Generally speaking, you feel the wind more as you ascend a mountain, and the temperatures drop with every 100m you ascend. If you choose to keep going, what are the potential risks?<\/p>\n

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Kitchen Hut, below the summit of Cradle Mountain is a great place to break and take stock of the situation<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Solution:<\/strong> In this case, I\u2019d be thinking, \u2018If anyone in my party slips and hurts themselves, we\u2019re in big trouble\u2019. You\u2019re not getting a helicopter ride if the weather is bad; best case scenario, rescuers will need to respond, coordinate, and walk in to help you. This could take hours. Better to turn around and try again when the weather\u2019s more favourable.<\/p>\n

2. You\u2019re Finding it Harder Than You Expected<\/h3>\n

One of the most common causes of people coming unstuck in the outdoors is overestimating their abilities or fitness. Steep, rough trails with complex route finding are common in Tasmania. Fatigue can cause you to miss a critical trail marker, roll an ankle, or move so slowly that you become benighted.<\/p>\n

Scenario:<\/strong> You\u2019re attempting a circuit in the Western Tiers. It\u2019s a popular trail, the weather is nice, and there are plenty of people around. A few kilometres into the circuit, you come upon a scree field that stretches off into the distance, you\u2019re already feeling a little tired from the rough trail, and this looks like hard work. You decide to keep going. An hour further on, you\u2019re exhausted and still have several hundred metres of scree to negotiate. You lose concentration, slip on some lichen, and injure yourself.<\/p>\n

I think we can all agree that you should have turned around, but at what point?<\/p>\n

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A misty scree field on the way up Barn Bluff<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Solution:<\/strong> In this case, I\u2019d exercise caution when it comes to committing to the scree field \u2013 it\u2019s ok to admit that a trail is a bit much, especially in this kind of terrain. Scree fields can be brutal!<\/p>\n

I\u2019d only commit to a short distance and set a target; aim for the top of the next rise or see what\u2019s around the next corner. This way, once you realise that you\u2019re in for more than you bargained for, you can make the call to turn around before fatigue really becomes an issue.<\/p>\n

3. It\u2019s Taking Longer Than You Expected<\/h3>\n

Many trails contain rough terrain and route-finding difficulties that significantly slow you down. The average rate of movement for hikers is about 3-4km\/h, but it can often fall to less than 1km\/h on complex, challenging terrain.<\/p>\n

Scenario:<\/strong> You want to do a day trip up into the Walls of Jerusalem. Unfortunately, you left a little later than you intended to, stopped for a coffee, and took a wrong turn on the drive. Now you\u2019re arriving at the trailhead at midday. You make up reasonable time, have a late lunch, and decide to keep going.<\/p>\n

Just after lunch, you realise a member of your party is moving slowly and keeps falling behind. You\u2019re psyched to continue, but it’s already 4pm. It\u2019s taken four hours to get here, and the sun sets around 7pm. If you decide to push on, what are the consequences of potentially being caught out at night?<\/p>\n

Solution: <\/strong>It\u2019s common to start later than you intend to, but the real takeaway here is to remain flexible. Being too fixated or rigid doesn\u2019t work in an environment as dynamic as the Tasmanian wilderness. Have a plan, but always be ready to adapt it. If you realise you might run out of daylight, a good strategy is to set a turn-around time. Getting benighted isn\u2019t the end of the world if you have head torches and warm layers, but if you\u2019re unprepared, you could easily get lost and end up in big trouble. This party needs to turn around now.<\/p>\n

4. You\u2019ve Forgotten a Crucial Piece of Equipment<\/h3>\n

Whether it\u2019s that extra water bottle, rainwear, warm layers, or the map, forgetting a piece of gear isn\u2019t a deal breaker, but you do need to consider how much it lowers your safety margin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Scenario:<\/strong> You\u2019re in Mt Field National Park and decide to attempt the 16km Tarn Shelf Circuit<\/a>. As you begin, the cold wind slaps you in the face. You go to put on your raincoat and realise you left it at home.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018Oh well, it\u2019s not raining\u2019, you rationalise and start walking. It starts sprinkling as you ascend the final section to Tarn Shelf, but you\u2019re nearly there, so you keep going. You sit and take some photos while being blasted by the wind. Your jumper is starting to get wet, and you\u2019re beginning to feel quite cold. <\/span><\/p>\n

You decide to get moving and head back to the car. On the way down, you slip and roll your ankle. As you sit on the wet ground and rest your injured ankle, you begin to get really cold. You can\u2019t manage more than 100m of walking at a time because of the pain, and now you\u2019re approaching hypothermia. How would carrying all of the Parks Tas recommended gear<\/a> change this situation?<\/span><\/p>\n

Solution:<\/strong> In this case, your ability to move at a good speed is what\u2019s keeping you warm; moving slowly will lead to getting cold, impairing your coordination and decision-making ability. This is an example of not having enough of a safety margin. This person should\u2019ve turned around when they started getting wet or changed their plans to something less exposed.<\/span><\/p>\n

The gear lists compiled by Parks Tas are done with exactly this kind of scenario in mind. You might not need some items if everything goes to plan, but if something goes wrong, you\u2019ll be glad you paid attention to their advice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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You’ll need some seriously expert gear to reach this peak<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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These are all common scenarios, things that could easily happen to <\/span>any of us<\/span><\/i> on any given day. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to be prepared; take the right gear, check the weather, and know your route. Things happen, and while you don\u2019t necessarily need to turn around at the first setback, you need to be aware of red flags and manage risk to the best of your ability. As you gain experience, you\u2019ll get better and better at identifying when you can push on and when you should turn around, but in the early days, a conservative decision is a good decision.<\/span><\/p>\n

Brush Up On Your Outdoor Skills & Safety<\/h2>\n