Telephone in the mountains

It is important to be able to notify somebody if anything happens during the mountain outing. It may be a matter of contacting Mountain Rescue or notifying a relative of changes to plans.

For this, the mobile phone has become important in many mountain areas. It works well in many places, while it does not work at all in others. It may also vary between different subscriptions. So take your mobile phone with you, but do not count on it always working. Do not tell relatives at home that you will call; if the mobile phone does not work, it causes unnecessary worry.

About assistance phones

In most overnight cabins and rest shelters in lands without roads, there are assistance phones. These telephones used to be called emergency phones, but today they are called assistance phones. They are always accessible even outside the season. There are telephone symbols on the mountain map at locations where you can find an assistance phone. They are put in place to be used when needed.

How do assistance phones work?

Do not hesitate to use the phones if it can prevent a mountain rescue mission or calm worried relatives. In other words, you should not feel that it has to be calling about missing persons or an accident to use them. They are there for anyone who feels unsafe or unsure what to do. When you use an assistance phone, you come to an alarm centre where you can convey your message. So you cannot call directly to another phone.