Mountain Rescue

If you have an accident in the mountains, doing the right things in the first few minutes can make all the difference. Save these numbers and learn the procedures before you need them.

Emergency Numbers

112European Emergency NumberFree, even with no credit, no SIM, or a locked phone. Works across the EU. The number to use in the mountains.
118Medical EmergenciesCoordinates medical rescue. In the mountains, the 118 operator is the one who calls out the CNSAS (Italy's National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps).
115Fire DepartmentFor fires, people trapped, and structural emergencies.

If your own carrier has no signal, your phone will try to place the call on another carrier’s network; but with no mobile coverage at all, the call won’t go through. If you’re heading somewhere with no signal, tell someone your route and when you expect to be back before you set out.

Regional Mountain Rescue Numbers

For an accident in the mountains, ask the 118 operator to call out the CNSAS (Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico, Italy’s national mountain and cave rescue service). The emergency number to dial in the region you’re in:

Region Number
Valle d’Aosta 112
Piemonte 112
Lombardia 112
Trentino 112
Alto Adige 112
Friuli-Venezia Giulia 112
Abruzzo 112

How to Call for Help: What to Tell Them

When you call for help, keep the METHANE checklist in mind (simplified version):

  1. Who you are (full name, a phone number they can call you back on)
  2. Where you are (GPS coordinates if you have them, run name, the lift you started from, visible landmarks)
  3. What happened (type of incident: fall, avalanche, trauma, sudden illness)
  4. How many people are involved
  5. How the injured are doing (conscious or unconscious, breathing or not, visible injuries)
  6. Weather conditions (visibility, wind, temperature)
  7. Don’t hang up until the rescuers tell you to

How to Figure Out Where You Are

Giving your exact position is vital. Here’s how:

  • Phone GPS: almost every smartphone shows GPS coordinates in its maps app. Write down the latitude and longitude.
  • GeoResQ: the free app run by CNSAS and promoted by CAI. It finds your position, tracks your outing in real time, and sends alerts and rescue requests to the GeoResQ center. Download it and set it up before you go.
  • Where ARE U: the official app of the 112 European emergency number (call with location sharing, silent call, chat). The data channel works in regions where the 112 single response center (Centrale Unica di Risposta) is active; elsewhere the app makes a normal call.
  • What3words: an app that divides the world into 3 × 3 meter squares, each identified by three words. Many emergency services use it.
  • Visual references: if you don’t have GPS, give the run, the number on the trail marker pole or sign, any hut you can see, and the resort name.
  • Approximate altitude: check your lift ticket or the trail map to get your bearings.

First Aid: What to Do While You Wait for Rescue

Note: these are basic first-aid guidelines. They don’t replace a certified first-aid and BLS (Basic Life Support) course. Think about taking one: it could save a life.

Priorities: The Chain of Survival

  1. Make the scene safe: before you approach, make sure there’s no risk of more avalanches, falls, or other people coming through fast
  2. Call for help as soon as possible (112)
  3. Check vital signs: is the person conscious? Do they respond when you talk to them? Are they breathing?
  4. Recovery position: if they’re unconscious but breathing, roll them onto their side
  5. CPR: if they’re not breathing and you’re trained, start cardiopulmonary resuscitation
  6. Don’t move them: if you suspect a spinal injury, don’t move the person (unless there’s immediate danger)
  7. Keep them warm: hypothermia is a serious risk. Cover them with whatever you have

Hypothermia: How to Spot It and What to Do

Hypothermia is when core body temperature drops below 35°C. How it progresses:

  • Mild (35-32°C): intense shivering, confusion, clumsiness, pale skin
  • Moderate (32-28°C): shivering stops (a serious sign), marked confusion, drowsiness
  • Severe (below 28°C): loss of consciousness, risk of cardiac arrest

What to do: get the person out of the wind and snow, remove wet clothing if you can, cover them up well, do NOT rub their limbs (risk of arrhythmia), don’t give them alcohol, and wait for rescue.

Mountain Rescue in Italy: How It Works

CNSAS operates all over Italy with specialized volunteers. Key things to know:

  • Several regions (for example Abruzzo) charge all or part of the cost of unjustified call-outs or rescues without hospital admission. Rates are set by regional resolutions: check the one for the region you’re visiting.
  • Mountain rescuers are often also doctors or nurses with mountain experience
  • In some regions, agreements with the resorts mean on-slope rescue is covered by your lift ticket

Useful Apps

  • GeoResQ: free app run by CNSAS and promoted by CAI: position, outing tracking and rescue requests to the GeoResQ center.
  • Where ARE U: the official app of the 112 European emergency number (call with location sharing, silent call, chat).
  • What3words: a very precise location system, an alternative to GPS coordinates.
  • AINEVA avalanche bulletin: bollettini.aineva.it (Alps); for the Apennines, Meteomont Carabinieri.
  • Peakvisor: offline topographic maps, handy for finding your way.
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