Scrambling Over Uneven Terrain and Decision-Making in the Outdoors

For hikers, scrambling means traveling on or across a surface that isn’t steep or uneven enough to require a rope or technical climbing skills, but is steep or uneven enough that you must use both hands and feet to make progress. You could find yourself scrambling across a single large boulder, or up a particularly rocky stretch of trail.

As you might expect, scrambling packs a higher level of risk than, say, walking on a level forest path. If you fall in such steep terrain, it’s really going to hurt and could leave you seriously injured, or worse. With that in mind, here are the four golden rules I use to keep myself safe while scrambling.

1. Be honest about your abilities

With a risky activity like scrambling, it’s best to start small, slow, and well within your abilities. As your experience grows, you’ll get an increasingly clearer picture of what you can or cannot comfortably handle, and how much risk you are (or aren’t) willing to tolerate.

If you have any doubts whether you can safely scramble over a rocky area, don’t do it. If you have any concerns about whether you’re verging on technical climbing terrain, don’t do it unless you’re already equipped with the appropriate skills and gear.

2. Know how you’re getting back down

Scrambling up is pretty easy. You can see everything you’re dealing with, right in front of you, and remember that we’re working on the assumption that the terrain isn’t steep or dangerous enough to require a technical climb.

But still, scrambling down is a lot harder than going up. You have much less visibility as you descend. Add in the possibility of it getting dark or the weather changing, or the amount of time it could take for skilled rescuers to arrive if you need them, and how you’re getting back down always merits more concern than how you’re getting up.

So as you’re scrambling up, across, or around, always ask yourself: If I go up there, can I get back down? If the answer is no or I’m not sure, don’t go.

3. Understand the terrain

Know what kind of terrain you’re traveling in, and how you interact with it. Is that rock brittle or sound? Is it slippery or will you have good traction? Is there mud, ice, wetness or anything else that could ruin your footing? Will that chunk of rock shift as you put your weight on it?

Brittle rock or slippery footing don’t care how strong or agile you are. If they’re going to give way, they’ll give way.

4. Maintain three points of contact

This is more of a climbing adage, but it’s very helpful for hikers scrambling in rough terrain, too. To remain stable, your goal should be to have three points of contact with the terrain at all times. That could mean both hands and a foot, or both feet and a hand. Or to put it another way, move one limb at a time.

You might find yourself skipping this as you build confidence in your own ability and your own judgment; but if you’re just starting out, it’s a good way to build confidence in your movements.

A word on decision-making outdoors

With the exception of #4, all of these “rules” are actually decision-making tools. That is because I am a big advocate for informed decision-making in the outdoors. That doesn’t mean I never take risks; it just means that before I do take a risk I make sure to objectively evaluate the hazards involved, their possible consequences, and what I can do to mitigate those risks or consequences.

Once I’ve evaluated those factors, it’s much easier to make an informed decision and either “go” or “no go” on the adventure in front of me. If I do go, I can rest secure in knowing that I’ve taken the best possible measures to protect myself, and I’m going into the adventure well-informed. If I don’t go, I can also rest secure in the knowledge that I’ve made an informed decision, and I can always set my sights on a different adventure.