SUMMARY
Make sure you and your entire group read and understand the Risk Advisory before you begin.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Signing up for a high-adventure trip just because it sounds great might be problematic if you aren’t healthy or physically prepared to complete it. Understanding what you will experience and what will be expected of you during a high-adventure activity is the first step in making sure that everyone has a great time.
Ask yourself, “Am I capable of completing this trek both physically and mentally?” Heart disease, high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes, not meeting the height and weight guidelines, allergies, or seizures are common medical conditions that might make your experience difficult. Start planning early to make sure your entire crew is ready and able to complete the high adventure.
The Risk Advisory is a great place to begin your preparation. The Risk Advisory is the last page of the Annual Health and Medical Record (AHMR) form. Download the AHMR form that is shown next to the symbol of the BSA high-adventure base you plan to attend. Read it carefully, since many of the common physical elements you will encounter on your trek are described in the Risk Advisory. Developing a plan for the trek is different for each group and each high-adventure base. For example, if everyone in your trek lives near sea level and is traveling to Philmont for a 10-day mountain trek, you must plan on getting acclimated to the altitude change.
Review the Annual Health and Medical Record early in the planning phase. Making any necessary health changes early will help you complete your adventure safely. Bring the Risk Advisory to your health care provider and discuss the specific trek with them. Be sure to talk about anything you think might be difficult for you and ask if you are physically able to go. Complete parts A, B, and C of the AHMR.
Make sure your crew, too, is prepared for the trail. Be sure that each youth member’s parent or guardian has reviewed the Risk Advisory to be sure they understand the risks and can help their youth plan for the adventure.
The Risk Advisory will help you develop a plan on how to physically train for the event, explain the nature of the trek to others, and inform you about how to prepare everyone and everything for your adventure. Get everyone involved in getting physically and mentally fit for participation.
Risk advisories are great tools for other events as well. Your council might already have developed its own risk advisory for a high-adventure program, summer camp, or an event like a camporee. If not, an easy-to-use risk advisory template is available for your council to use.
A high-adventure excursion can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Understanding what to expect and how to prepare are important parts of all successful high-adventure experiences. Risk advisories help adult trek leaders, parents, older Scouts, and their health care providers determine which adventures are best suited for the participants so everyone has a great time.
RESOURCES
