Rescue teams around the capital had a busy holiday season responding to calls for help.

The Luye team, which is one of the oldest in Beijing, received four calls during the seven-day National Day holiday. In contrast, it only received nine during the whole of 2009.

"Most people who get into trouble those days are travelers without professional knowledge and the equipment they need to hike," said Lu Zhonghong, head of the Luye team.

He said people increasingly prefer to travel in undeveloped areas and in the mountains around the city but he said it can be very dangerous to climb such peaks, especially when people are not familiar with the terrain.

The Lantian rescue team, which is the biggest in Beijing with 280 members, was also involved in four rescues during the holidays, Mirror Evening News reported on Saturday.

Again, the incidents happened in the mountains.

"We usually only undertake about one operation a month but people are now heading for the rural areas during the holidays, which is leading to more incidents," the team's leader told the paper.

Lu said the Luye team responded to a call for help on Oct 2 from a group of 10 people who got lost on Lingshan Mountain in Mentougou district. The walkers were regular people without a guide, he added.

"Fortunately, the weather was very good that day and we helped over the phone as they found their way out," Lu told METRO.

Most rescues during the holiday period only involved finding lost travelers and guiding them out, Lu said. But he said a rescue on Oct 4 lasted for more than 30 hours when they went to help a farmer who had been trapped on a mountain in Huairou district for 77 hours.

Lu suggested travelers stick to hiking in relatively well-trod areas and, if they do want to venture into wild areas, he suggested they hire a professional guide.

Travelers should also only go to remote areas in groups, so people can help one another if they get into difficulty, he added.

China Daily

(China Daily 10/11/2010 page)