CHOOSING A TRAVEL AREA

It is best to start tourism in your area or region. These initial local trips will not require large financial expenditures on transport and equipment, or a long time for access. After hiking in your own region, it is more interesting to get acquainted with other regions of the country.

The travel area is selected depending on the interests and tastes of the participants. When choosing an area, the availability of convenient access routes, travel time, transportation and other costs are also taken into account.

To simplify the organization of travel, the Central Tourism Council has developed a “List of classified tourist routes” for all types of tourism in various regions of the Soviet Union. These routes are built based on populated areas, tourist and mountaineering bases, meteorological and scientific research stations, trading posts and hunting grounds. fishing camps.

COMPLETING THE GROUP

Proper group formation is one of the main conditions for a successful and accident-free trip.

Usually the idea of ​​going on a hike arises in 1-2 proactive tourists. They choose the area of ​​travel, outline the initial version of the route and then talk about their intentions at a meeting of the tourist section or place an advertisement in a wall newspaper or a large-circulation newspaper.

Participants in the future campaign must be selected carefully, preferably from the same production team. They should have approximately the same age and physical fitness, common interests, more or less equal knowledge and tourist skills.

As a rule, there is a core group of 2-3 people who have traveled together on several trips. The rest of the team is selected from tourists from their own or other groups.

Tourist groups are also organized on a family basis: parents travel with their children—senior schoolchildren. 2-3 families can also unite.

The completed group must promptly begin studying the route and hiking area, prepare equipment, conduct joint training, and practice hiking techniques. During the preparation period, participants get to know each other better. The task is set - before setting out on the route, to unite a team capable of fulfilling the planned trip plan.

The “Rules for organizing amateur tourist travel on the territory of the USSR” establishes that groups for trips of |, ||, III categories of complexity must consist of at least 4 people, and for trips of IV and V categories of at least 6 people. Ski trips in taiga conditions and regions of the North, when the routes are away from roads and away from populated areas, are carried out by a group of at least 8 people.

A smaller group will not be able to provide security measures on its own. In the event of an accident or accident involving at least one participant, it does not guarantee assistance to the victim, and is not able to evacuate him to the nearest populated area. Too large a group makes the hike difficult. It is difficult to choose travel dates that would satisfy everyone. Someone is forced to hurry and pull the others along with them. In addition, it is not easy to arrange overnight accommodation for a group of 12-15 people in a populated area. Participants have to be accommodated in several houses, which disrupts the economic structure of the group and undermines discipline. When moving along a trail or ski track, a large group stretches out greatly, making it difficult for the leader to keep track of the participants. It takes a lot of time to overcome various natural obstacles, and the pace of movement slows down significantly.

In an overly large group, the lack of proper control on the part of the leader over all participants during movement, insufficient organization and violation of the established order can cause accidents.

As an exception, groups of 20-40 people, made up of members of one production team, may be allowed to perform a specific task to study an entire area or conduct a tourist training camp. In this case, the entire squad is divided into sections (groups) of 8-10 people.

All participants in the future campaign must clearly understand its goals and actively prepare for it.

Depending on the type of tourism, they should be able to ski well, ride bicycles, and tourists going on a water or water-pedestrian trip should be able to swim and row.

The requirements for travel leaders and participants are set out in the “Rules for organizing amateur tourist trips across the territory of the USSR.”

Group leaders are responsible for timely preparation and provision of equipment, discipline, organization of tourists and trouble-free travel.

A weekend hike can be led by a tourist who has experience in participating in such hikes, has basic tourism skills and is familiar with the simplest safety measures.

Travel leaders of complexity category I must have experience leading weekend trips, and trip leaders of complexity categories II, III, IV and V must have experience leading a trip one category lower and experience participating in a trip of the same complexity category for this type of tourism.

During water travel on several vessels, senior officers are allocated on each of them to ensure coordinated actions and implementation of the instructions of the group leader.

Participants in trips of category I complexity must have experience in participating in weekend hikes. Two thirds of the group on a trip of II, III, IV and V categories of complexity must have at least experience of participating in trips one category lower in the same type of tourism, the remaining tourists - two categories lower.

Participants in ski trips of II and III difficulty categories must have experience of field overnight stays in winter conditions.

Leaders of mountain trips involving crossing high-mountain passes must have experience participating in crossing a pass of a similar category of difficulty and experience leading a transition through a pass of a category lower than planned.

Leaders and participants of high-altitude trips must comply with the requirements of the “Rules for conducting mountaineering events in the USSR.”

The travel leader and participants are required to: be able to use tourist equipment; be familiar with natural obstacles and know how to overcome them; master the technique of orientation and movement in various terrain and weather conditions, organizing field overnight stays; be able to develop a travel plan, the main route and its alternate options, as well as a schedule; be able to provide safety precautions and communication with populated areas and the organization that sent the group on the trip.

The experience of travel of any category of complexity and its management required above applies only to one type of tourism. As an exception, the experience of a walking trip of category I complexity can be equated to the experience of a mountain or ski trip of category I complexity.

Once the group is complete, it is necessary to distribute responsibilities between the participants. In this case, their tourist and professional experience, physical data and practical skills should be taken into account. Strict economic specialization of each tourist is especially important during winter hikes.

Responsibilities are distributed among the remaining participants: deputy head, treasurer, caretaker, medical instructor. In addition, those responsible for repairing equipment, keeping a diary, collecting a herbarium or mineral collections, a meteorologist, a cameraman, a photographer, etc. may be appointed. When conducting water travel on vessels with outboard motors, it is necessary to allocate 1-2 motor mechanics.

The group leader leads preparations for the trip, conducts training with participants, is responsible for developing the route and preparing output documentation, and takes care of obtaining official permission to travel. On a campaign he is the sole commander and his orders must be carried out unquestioningly.

One of the experienced tourists is selected as the deputy leader. His orders are also binding on the group, because he acts in accordance with the decisions of the leader.

The caretaker is responsible for food and equipment, keeps records of them, distributes food and equipment into backpacks, draws up a menu, and takes care of replenishing food along the way.

The treasurer collects money from participants before the trip, issues letters of credit, stores the money himself or distributes it to tourists for safekeeping. By order of the manager, he makes all cash payments en route.

The medical instructor acquires, stores and replenishes a first aid kit, monitors the group members’ compliance with sanitary and hygienic rules, and, if necessary, provides first aid to the victim. When preparing for summer travel in the northern and north-eastern regions of the country, take care of timely encephalitis vaccinations/participants, purchase and wise use of mosquito repellents.

The engine mechanic “breaks in” the engine in advance and purchases spare parts for it.

The person in charge of the diary keeps a “chronicle” of the campaign. The group diary can be supplemented by entries from other members of the tourist group.

A cinematographer, photographer or artist consistently depicts the camping life of the group from beginning to end.

The person responsible for equipment repair manages tools and materials for repair, stores them, and repairs equipment himself or with his group mates.

If the group size is small, a deputy leader is not elected and the same participants bear several responsibilities.

On weekend hikes and on simple routes, all members of the group on duty usually take turns setting up a bivouac, collecting firewood, cooking and other household chores. Everyone must learn to perform these easy duties.

If necessary, shift shifts are established at night. The duty officer maintains the fire, monitors sleeping comrades, dries their shoes and clothes, prepares breakfast in a timely manner and wakes up the group. To preserve the strength of the participants and ensure a more complete night's rest, night shifts are sometimes dispensed with. If there are more than 8 people in the group, the leader is relieved of night duty and special duties when setting up a bivouac. He only controls the actions of the participants and helps them as an instructor.

Responsibilities among tourists are also distributed during preparation for the hike: one prepares documentation for consideration by the route commission, another organizes written communication with local institutions in the area of ​​the intended trip, the third is responsible for collecting information about the hike area, the fourth is for receiving and manufacturing equipment, the fifth - for the purchase of food, the sixth - for the purchase of travel tickets, etc. Sometimes such a distribution of responsibilities is not carried out and the group resolves all issues together.

ROUTE DEVELOPMENT

All participants of the future trip, without exception, are involved in developing the route.

In many cities there are tourist clubs, children's excursion and tourist stations, large tourist sections of voluntary sports societies. In these institutions you can get advice and the necessary literature.

The travel route must meet certain requirements, only then will it be complete.

Firstly, it must be educationally interesting. Depending on the composition of the group and the purpose of the hike, various objects for inspection are outlined along the route; historical places, monuments of culture and military glory, archaeological and museum sites, cities and villages, new buildings, etc. Tourists, of course, will get acquainted with the life and way of life of the local population.

Secondly, the trip should help improve health, improve the physical development of tourists, improve their sportsmanship, and acquire applied skills. Consequently, the category of difficulty of the planned route should correspond to the physical fitness of the participants in the hike and their accumulated experience.

Having experience in passing simple routes, you can plan more complex ones - increase the length of the route, include additional natural obstacles. When planning to overcome sections of rough terrain, mountain passes, and forest areas, the group must rely primarily on its own strength, experience and skill.

But even with good physical preparation, tourists should not get carried away with too long and complex routes through deserted areas, as this will complicate the journey, deprive them of the opportunity to get acquainted with the objects planned for inspection, violate the timing of the hike, and cause physical and mental fatigue for the participants.

Routes can be linear, circular or radial. Radial exits are made from the main route to inspect various objects.

The third requirement for the route is the presence of short railway, road or water (steam) approaches. It is necessary to adhere to the rule that the time required to get to the route and on the way back, as well as transportation costs should not exceed 20-30% of the time and money spent on the entire trip.

When developing a route, the group roughly determines the category of its complexity, using the standards of the “Rules for organizing amateur tourist travel on the territory of the USSR” or comparing its route with similar routes from the “List of Classified Routes”.

The route development proceeds approximately according to the following plan. After the travel area has been selected, a point is determined that can be reached using rail, water, road or horse-drawn transport. Then a point is determined from where it is convenient to return home using the transport indicated above. The route line should connect the starting and ending points, passing through natural routes (country roads and trails, river and stream valleys, mountain passes, equipped crossings over water barriers) through populated areas and various bases. Intermediate settlements and bases will serve as strongholds for the group. In them she can plan overnight and day stays, repair equipment and replenish food supplies.

If some excursion objects remain away from the main route line, then radial routes are laid to them. In this case, part of the cargo can be temporarily left for storage at the support point.

The route is drawn on the map, all possible areas with natural obstacles are identified, ways to overcome them are determined, and the total mileage is calculated.

Taking into account the pace of movement possible for a given group, the presence of natural obstacles on the route, the location of settlements and excursion sites, the degree of physical fitness of the participants and the weight of their backpacks, a movement schedule is drawn up on the map.

It should, however, be remembered that a day's trek and its difficulty depend not only on the mileage and weight of the backpack, but also on the terrain, forest coverage, snow conditions, wind direction and strength, and other circumstances.

In the first days of the trip (especially on difficult hikes), the mileage is limited, since the weight of the backpacks is still high, and the participants are not sufficiently involved in the work. The first day's rest is done after 2-3 days of travel, after the need for additional adjustment and repair of equipment has been identified. On a ski trip, days are often arranged depending on meteorological conditions. If the weather is favorable at the beginning of the hike, tourists, as a rule, do not spend a day, accumulating a reserve of time for subsequent days, when the weather may worsen and they will have to make forced stops.

At the end of the route, the mileage, according to the schedule, decreases again. There is a gradual relaxation of the body after heavy loads. In addition, there is some reserve of time in case the schedule is disrupted due to unforeseen circumstances.

EXPLORING THE TRAVEL AREA

Studying the travel area usually occurs simultaneously with developing the route.

Tourists should familiarize themselves in detail with the geographical, economic and other features of the travel area, using scientific and fiction literature, geographical descriptions and reference books, meteorological observations, directions of rivers and lakes, reports of tourist groups that have visited the area.

Participants of a future trip should get an idea in advance about the terrain, temperature fluctuations in the hiking area, the amount of precipitation, the most likely weather during the period planned for the hike (if possible, ask for a weather forecast), find out the location of excursion objects, etc.

When planning a trip to an area rarely visited by tourists, it is necessary to establish written communication with local institutions and public organizations. When reporting the planned dates of the trip, the group should request information that will help prepare for it: about the availability and nature of communications and means of communication, about the possibility of purchasing food and equipment on the spot, about prices existing there, etc. When clarifying these questions, it is necessary find out what kind of socially useful work local organizations consider desirable to carry out along the route.

It is best to make such requests through your institutions or sports organizations. Along with this, you can start correspondence with school teachers, hunters, and foresters. If there is a tourist section at any point along the route, it is advisable to establish contact with it. A detailed preliminary study of the hiking area is necessary not only to see and learn more, but also to ensure the safety of the trip itself.

OBTAINING TRAVEL PERMISSION

According to the “Rules for organizing amateur tourist travel on the territory of the USSR,” all tourist groups going on amateur hikes along routes of any complexity category are required to obtain permission from their physical education team and have a conclusion from the route qualification commission on the group’s readiness to travel.

A travel document for tourist groups on hikes of difficulty below category I - a route sheet. Route sheets are numbered, registered and issued to groups by organizations conducting the hike. After the end of the hike, the group leaders return the route sheets to the organizations that issued them.

The travel document of tourist groups traveling along routes of I-V categories of difficulty is a route book. Forms of route books are numbered by tourism councils and issued to organizations conducting travel.

A tourist group preparing for a trip of categories I-V of complexity submits an application booklet to the appropriate route and qualification commission. The application book is certified by the organization conducting the trip, and for national groups - by the tourist club or tourism council.

The application book indicates the travel plan, route and its options; a list of personal and group equipment, food rations and cost estimates are given; a list of travel participants and the distribution of responsibilities in the group are provided; measures are listed in case of unforeseen circumstances and accidents, deviations from the route and the traffic schedule; safety measures are provided in case of sudden deterioration of weather.

Travel plan. The plan indicates the main objectives of the trip (educational, sports, socially useful), specifies socially useful and local history work along the way, lists excursion sites that are supposed to be visited, contains information about the route, schedule, etc.

The list of trekking participants and sports characteristics are compiled in the form: indicate the age, occupation and place of work of tourists, home and business addresses, tourist experience, experience in completing routes in this type of tourism (indicate the trekking area, main points of the route, timing of completion, in what capacity participated in the hike), the presence of categories in related sports, etc. The leader, in addition, must indicate which specific hikes he led.

Meals along the route. Knowing the calorie content of various foods, their content of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and vitamins, as well as the expected daily energy expenditure on the route, the group draws up a diet. The type of tourism, time of year, complexity of the route, financial capabilities of the participants and the actual availability of a particular range of products are taken into account.

The document on catering must indicate the weight and cost of the daily ration per person, the total weight of products for each tourist and for the entire group, a list of products purchased before the trip, and products that are planned to be purchased along the way.

Costings. When preparing for travel, the group must properly account for its financial expenses. The estimate indicates the main expense items: purchasing tickets to the starting point of the route and for returning home; payment for transport along the route, purchase of products, purchase and production of necessary equipment, payment for overnight stays in populated areas, purchase of tickets to museums, theaters, cinema, purchase of photographic materials, writing materials. It is necessary to have a reserve of 10-15% of the total expenses. The main share of expenses usually falls on the purchase of products and payment for transport.

List of equipment. Depending on the type of tourism, time of year and area of ​​travel, special group and personal equipment, as well as repair equipment, are purchased. Properly selected, high-quality equipment is the key to a successful trip. The list indicates the actual availability of equipment.

A route diagram with the planned route of the hike is attached to the plan. The diagram should indicate the expected places of overnight and day stays. In addition to the main one, a backup route is planned (in case it is impossible to complete the main one). The scale of both diagrams attached to the plan should be the same.

The diagram should be accompanied by a brief description of the most difficult sections of the route and the proposed methods of overcoming them.

Order of communication. To ensure trouble-free travel, it is necessary to carefully consider all issues of communication between the group and the institution that approved the route, outline and indicate the control dates of the trip, the points from which tourists will send telegrams, letters, radiograms.

Route qualification commissions, which include experienced tourists, check the correctness of the route development, the correspondence of the tourist experience of the participants and the group leader to the complexity of the chosen route, the correct selection of equipment, food calculations, etc. In addition to a thorough check, the commission provides advice on the preparation of documentation, travel and safety measures along the route.

After carefully reviewing the presented materials and talking with the participants of the future trip, the route qualification commission gives its conclusion, documenting it in the form of a protocol in the application book. The protocol is signed by the chairman of the commission (or his deputy).

The route qualification commission may oblige a group planning a trip of II-IV difficulty categories to conduct a one- or two-day training trip to check its actual readiness and, in case of poor preparation of tourists, prohibit the trip.

Based on the application book, the organization conducting the trip issues the tourist group a route book, signed by the responsible person of this organization and certified by a seal. Application books are stored in the organizations that issued route books.

Tourist groups that have permission to travel and have issued route books can first of all receive advice, a diagram and description of the route, as well as equipment (rented) and food in cash at the tourist base or camp.

PREPARING THE GROUP FOR GOING ON THE ROUTE

Preparation of a tourist trip consists not only of assembling a group, purchasing and manufacturing equipment, purchasing and packaging food, and drawing up the necessary documents for the route qualification commission. It must ensure a meaningful and safe trip. Long before setting out on the route, the group must begin systematic physical training and practice elements of sports (rowing, cycling, skiing) and tourist (working with a map and compass, setting up a bivouac, overcoming natural obstacles, etc.) techniques. It is advisable for the group to take part in competitions for the championship of their team, district or city in orienteering. 1-2 months before the trip, the group conducts joint training, initially walking short distances and without load, and 1-2 weeks before making a test hike with full gear and with all equipment over a distance equal to that planned for the first day of the trip.

When preparing for a difficult winter trip, a test hike must be combined with an overnight stay in the field to check the quality and fit of equipment, the ability to quickly set up a bivouac and prepare food in the field, and the physical endurance of the participants.

This trip is organized as follows. On the eve of the day off, the group in regimental strength, with all the necessary equipment, with a backpack packing equal in weight to the pack on the first day of the hike, leaves the city. After walking a short distance (3-4 km), tourists stop for the night. They slowly set up the tent and stove. At the same time, all participants study their design, installation procedure and practical use. The next day, the group follows the daily routine planned for the hike. It is advisable to walk 12-14 km during this day, test the tactics and technique of movement on virgin snow, bush thickets, along country roads and other characteristic places. The test hike ends 1.5-2 hours before dark. All detected deficiencies must be eliminated in the time remaining before the trip.

All members of the group, no earlier than a month before departure on the route, must undergo a medical and physical examination and obtain a doctor’s permission to participate in a trip of this category of complexity,

CONTROL OF AMATEUR HIKES

The organization sending the tourist group on the trip bears full responsibility for its preparation and conduct. If necessary, it organizes search and rescue operations.

Control over the conduct of weekend hikes and trips is carried out by councils of physical education groups, sports clubs, tourist clubs and sections, local tourism councils and VSOs with the active participation of Komsomol and trade union organizations.

Before going on difficult trips, tourist groups, no later than two weeks before departure on the route, inform through their organizations the regional (territorial, republican) tourism council in the area of ​​​​which the trip will take place, the authorized representative of the Central Tourism Council for this area or the head of the control rescue service, a target date for the return of the group and the exact route to follow, indicating the time of passage of individual sections.

Direct control over the group’s passage of complex routes is carried out by the organization that authorized the trip.

When carrying out trips of all categories of complexity, the group is obliged to make notes on the passage of the route in local authorities, in local governing Komsomol or physical education bodies, at tourist centers and, as an exception, at post offices. On difficult trips, the group must also inform its organization about the passage of checkpoints along the route.

SUMMARY OF THE TRIP

Having completed the trip, the group reports to the tourist section of its team and sports society, to the institution that organized the trip, and to the route and qualification commission that issued permission for the trip. For trips of the first category of complexity, a route book is submitted to the route commission and an oral report is made, for more complex trips - a route book and a written report, the volume and nature of which are determined by the route qualification commission. Only after submitting and reviewing the reports can the trip be counted and the participants issued certificates for receiving the “USSR Tourist” badge or obtaining the corresponding category.

The need to sum up the results of tourist trips is dictated not only by the desire to promote tourism. Its main goal is to summarize the experience of preparing and conducting travel, the experience of socially useful work along the way, and to identify shortcomings in order to eliminate them in the future.

A certain order was established for summing up the results of the trip. Usually, after finishing a hike, tourists, on the way back, discuss the route they have taken, analyze any deviations from the plan, mistakes made by the group or individual participants, and evaluate the role of the leader and his assistants.

It is advisable to make a detailed oral report at a meeting of the tourist section of a sports society (or at a city tourist club) no later than one and a half to two months after returning from the trip. By this time, you need to compile and arrange a written report and photo albums, develop and edit the film. The report should be accompanied by a display of photographs, a demonstration of amateur films, samples of equipment used on the trip, collected collections of minerals, herbariums, etc. The basis for the written report and the preparation of an oral report at the section is the travel diary.

The report is usually presented in sections.

The section “General characteristics of the hiking area” describes the geographical features of the area, terrain, climate, amplitude of probable temperature fluctuations; information is provided on the amount of precipitation and the main periods of precipitation, the direction of the winds, information on the hydrographic network (rivers, lakes), river flow speed, depths, slopes, rapids and riffles, soil, flora and fauna, information on the presence of edible and medicinal plants; data is reported on the possibility of hunting and fishing, the presence of minerals, the condition of the road network and the improvement of settlements.

The information about the population, the peculiarities of their work and life, and the economic and cultural development of the travel area is presented in detail. You should provide information about previously conducted hikes here, routes, places of interest and other excursion sites.

When compiling this section, it is necessary to make maximum use of the available literature on the area, consultations with competent persons and reports of other tourist groups. At the end of the section, provide a list of references, indicate the names of consultants, their addresses (or telephone numbers).

In the section “Preparation for travel” there is a list of group members, their tourist experience is characterized, the most interesting and difficult routes they have traveled are listed, and the distribution of responsibilities is given; the reason for choosing this area for travel, the procedure for developing the route, the goals and objectives set for the group on this journey are indicated; indicates from which organizations which tasks were accepted and how they were completed

The diet, food supply, place of purchase and cost, set of medications and their use on the road are listed.

Planned and actual cost estimates are compared, sources of funds for travel are indicated.

A list and characteristics (purchased, homemade) of individual and group equipment are provided; Attached are drawings of the most interesting equipment samples.

Information is provided on the total load of the group and the distribution for each participant at the beginning of the route, on the possibility of replenishing food supplies along the way and transporting equipment and cargo by local transport, on checkpoints and deadlines, on measures to ensure accident-free operation, on the method of establishing preliminary written communication with local institutions and organizations in the travel area.

It is reported who reviewed the route, when it was approved, and what the actual implementation of the travel plan is.

The section “Conducting the hike and technical description of the route” provides characteristics of the route traveled, conditions and possibilities of movement, difficult sections of the route (passes, rapids, crossings, etc.) and the methods and means used to overcome natural obstacles, safety measures and actions groups in difficult conditions. Information is provided on the availability of fuel, potable water, and convenient sites for setting up bivouacs, as well as data on movement timing and weather observations.

In the “Travel Diary” section, the leader or one of the participants talks about the events of the day, the well-being of the participants, impressions, remarkable places, meetings with interesting people, details of camping life, and the conduct of local history or scientific research work during the hike. The diary contains records of stories of local residents, songs, legends, and traditions.

The section “Conclusions about the hike and recommendations for other groups” reports on the category of difficulty of the route traveled, its educational value, provides a specific assessment of equipment, advice and recommendations for other groups on choosing routes V in the area, on equipment, movement techniques and safety measures.

The trip report should be accompanied by a general map with the route and overnight stays marked, as well as outlines of the most difficult sections indicating the route through them.

The report should be illustrated with photographs and drawings characterizing difficult sections of the route and the group’s actions on them, the nature and attractions of the area. The written report should preferably be bound and bound. The recommended report format is typewritten sheet. One copy of the report must be submitted to the organization that issued permission to conduct the hike.

LITERATURE

Potresov A. S. Companion of a young tourist. FiS, 1966. Romashkov E. Weekend hikes. FiS, 1967. Arkhangelskaya O. How to choose a tourist route.

Dobkovich V, V. Tourist of the USSR. FiS, 1957.