The UBMBC committee is aware that occasionally club activities finish later than anticipated. Some have unexpectedly finished very late at night. This may be due to various factors such as weather, navigational difficulties, challenging terrain or problems experienced by group members.

Walking longer hours and in particular night walking introduces additional hazards.

If a potential late return may be anticipated, leaders should attempt to mitigate these risks by:

• Before the activity informing members that a later finish may occur
• Being aware of the night weather forecast
• Advising members of additional equipment they should carry: head torches, batteries, warm clothing, additional food, water, hydralites, etc
• Monitoring members for fatigue and cramps
• Monitoring members for hypothermia, particularly if swimming or wading is involved or the night is very cold
• Being aware that some members may have difficulty with night vision

Because the party is late it may incline them to try and rush but if it is dark additional care needs to be taken, e.g. with cliff edges, low tree branches or uneven surfaces and a slower pace needs to be anticipated.