Walking in Italy's Stelvio National Park. Gillian Price

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       Find time to get in good shape before setting out on your holiday, as it will maximise your enjoyment. You will appreciate the wonderful scenery more if you are not exhausted, and you will react better in an emergency.

       Do not be overly ambitious – choose itineraries suited to your capabilities. Read the walk description carefully before setting out.

       Always leave word at your hotel of your planned route, or sign the hut register if staying in a rifugio, as this may come in helpful for rescuers.

       Do not set out late and always have extra time up your sleeve to allow for detours due to missing bridges or signposts, and wrong turns. Plan on getting to your destination early in hot weather as afternoon storms are not uncommon. As a general rule, start out early morning to give yourself plenty of daylight.

       Stick with your companions and do not lose sight of them. Remember that the progress of groups matches that of the slowest member.

       Avoid walking in brand new footwear, or you will get blisters; but leave old worn-out boots in the shed as they may prove unsafe on slippery terrain. Choose your footwear carefully.

       Do not overload your rucksack.

       Carry extra protective clothing as well as energy foods for emergency situations. Remember that the temperature drops an average of 6°C for every 1000m you climb.

       Check the weather forecast if possible – tourist offices and hut guardians are always in the know. For the Südtirol see www.suedtirol.information, Trentino has www.meteotrentino.it and Lombardia http://ita.arpalombardia.it. Never set out on a long route in adverse conditions. Even a broad, level track can become treacherous in bad weather, and high-altitude terrain enveloped in thick mist makes orientation difficult. An altimeter is useful – when a known altitude (such as that of the refuge) goes up, this means the atmospheric pressure has dropped and the weather could change for the worse.

       Do carry your rubbish back to the valley where it can be disposed of correctly; do not expect hut or park staff to deal with it. Even organic waste such as apple cores and orange peel is best not left lying around as it upsets the diet of animals and birds.

       Be considerate when making a toilet stop. Keep away from watercourses, do not leave unsightly paper lying around and remember that abandoned huts and rock overhangs could serve as life-saving shelter for someone else.

       Collecting flowers, insects or minerals is strictly forbidden, as are fires.

       Learn the international call for help, described in the following section. DO NOT rely on your mobile phone as many alpine valleys have no signal. Refuges have landlines and experienced staff can always be relied on in an emergency. In electrical storms, do not shelter under trees or rock overhangs and keep away from metallic fixtures.

       Lastly, do not leave your common sense at home.