Some thoughts about river crossings on hiking trips

 When asking non-hikers about the dangers of hiking, most will have an answer ready. They'll mention something about the risk of getting lost, or falling off a cliff, or hypothermia, or the threat of animals, or even the - extremely unlikely - event of attack by a fellow human. Rivers seldom seem to come to mind. Yet, sadly each year rivers do claim hikers' lives.  

The importance of rivers cannot be understated. Entire civilisations depent on them, something that became yet again clear with the drought of last summer in Europe, in which low water levels in rivers impacted trade, industry and argiculture. Rivers shape land and life and history. They are also beautiful and magnificent - there are few experiences I like better than pitching my tent on the shore of a clear, cool, calmly flowing river after a day of hiking. Yet, beside prividing people with drinking water, means of transport and food, among countless other things, rivers can also become formidable obstacles when your hiking route crosses ways with them.  There are dangers associated with rivers when hikers are not even attempting to cross them. A hiker that becomes stuck on one side of an unfordable river, or that gets into trouble when being forced to stray from their original route, is still impacted by that river. Flash floods or accidental falls into rivers claim yet more lives.

But let's focus on river crossings here. River crossings should never be underestimated. They are dangerous because a fall on slippery river stones can lead to injury, which is always risky but especially in remote wilderness areas, and because the risks involved when falling in and being swept away: hypothermia, lost hiking hear and even drowning are all possible consequences. There are a multitude of reasons why getting to the other side of a river can be tough.

One of the many rivers I forded in Sarek, Sapmi, north Sweden.

First, rivers are unpredictable. The amount of water rushing through rivers can vary wildly, depending on time of year, weather conditions, or time of day. Rivers might even entirely change their course. Standing on a river shore, it's hard to accurately estimate the depth and strength of moving water. That's especially the case for glacier rivers with their milky waters. More than once I've had to turn around when I was already more than halfway through because the water turned out to be deeper and the current to be stronger than I expected it to. 
    
Second, river water in mountain areas is often icy cold. Freezing water hurts. The longer you stay in the water, the further it can hinder your agility and ability to make sound decisions. 

But it's not just depth or speed or coldness that determine how hard it is to cross a river. The character of the river bed is another important factor. A hip deep river with a firm sandy or pebble streambed is easier to cross than a knee deep one which flows fast over large, slippery, sharp boulders. Some kind of river shores even make getting to the water itself a challenge.

This river between two lakes in southwest Greenland was though thanks to the rough, overgrown terrain. I had to get to the other side because on the side I was on, there was just no place I could take off with my packraft. This river was deep and flowing over huge, slippery boulders with large gaps in between, and the shores were overgrown with darf willow shrubs. On the way back (when I took this image) I could avoid the crossing - only to then end up having to climb through a steep boulder field. Oh well. 

I'm in no way an expert on river crossings, but across the years I've gained some experience with them during trekkings - mainly in remote places in Iceland, Sweden, Norway, and Greenland. And I've got a few tips for hikers who wish to hike trails that cross ways with unbridged rivers. Because, while it's good to treat river crossings with respect, it would be a shame to avoid them alltogether. 

Gather information beforehand and prepare
Take the time to gather advice about the local rivers and take that information into consideration when planning your hiking trip. Guide books, hiking maps and advice from local stewards or inhabitants are all possible sources of information. Look for internet reports as well, but it is advisable to always take these with a grain of salt. The writer might not be perfectly honest online (intentional or not intential). Or differ from you in levels of experience, or ideas about what acceptable risks are. I regulary read hiking reports that leave me thinking 'you should have never attempted that'. 
    Some rivers are considered to be absolutely unfordable except perhaps in the most favorable circumstances. An example of such a river is the Guhkesvákkjahka in Sarek, north Sweden, a river which has already claimed many lives. Avoid trying to ford a river of this calliber - if you're very lucky you might get away with it, but it's just not worth the risk. If there's a crossing on your route that according to your information may become uncrossable under circumstances, it's a good idea to make a plan about what to do if you can't ford it. For example, plan in a few extra days so you have the time wait until water levels drop. Or make a plan B. 

The Guhkesvákkjahka in Sarek, one of the few rivers in this national park that has a bridge. And that's for good reason. Photo made by capturingthewild.be

What to look for when selecting a place to cross
To select good fording places, you'll need to know what to look out for. Find a place where the slope evens out, the river flows straight, becomes wider and more shallow. Think 'river rumbles happily over shallow stony bed' rather than 'river speeds between boulders' or 'outer bend looks fine, not sure about the depth of the inner bend'. A place where the river splits up into multiple channels can also be a good spot to cross - especially in the delta, which is always sandier because it's where the current slows down and sendiment is shed. Established fording places are often marked on maps or on site, or described in hiking guides, or obvious trails lead to and from them. But always trust your own judgement first. 

Shallow, calm - a good place to ford. Padjelanta, Sapmi, north Sweden. 

Overlooking a glacial flow in Iceland. Main channels in river deltas can still be deep, but nonetheless tend to be good places to make a river crossing because the current slows and the river bed evens out.

When to refrain from crossing
The general rule is to not cross a river when the river is fast flowing and the water reaches more than knee hight. That doesn't sound very deep - but us humans are easily caught off balance on our two legs. The power of the water is just no match for us when it reaches above knee depth. I had the chance to safely test this out myself last summer in Germany, when I went for a refreshing morning swim in the August heatwave. The river Rur was so shallow that canoes occasionally got stuck (very amusing to watch from the shore), yet the current was still fast-flowing and so powerful I found I could not keep standing when the water reached much above my knees.  

It's very much possible to drown even in shallow water, because being smashed into objects can cause loss of conciousness and currents can trap you under water. If you're not sure you can safely make it, please refrain from crossing and look for a better place to ford.  

Clothes, shoes, poles and backpacks
There are two main approaches: either try to keep everything dry, or keep shoes and trousers on and just accept that they will get wet. Whatever approach you choose, please never try to cross rivers barefeet. The 'pants off, wading shoes on' approach is the most popular. But it takes more time. Cold water against your bare skin and small stones geting into your wading shoes may make the crossing painful. Personally, I prefer to keep everything on. As a result I don't have to carry a seperate pair of shoes, and as long as I keep moving I never get cold even when my trousers and shoes are wet. The one exception would be when I would have to cross a river in serious sub-freezing temperatures.
Obviously you should make sure to pack everything that should not get wet waterproof. Taped-seam nylon drybags are ideal for this. Carry essential items like your phone, matches and navigation/emergy devices on your body. Opinions differ on if you should unbuckle the hip belt of your backpack so you can shed it more easily, or if should keep it on so your backpack won't throw you off balance. It feels safer for me to unbuckle it.      
A trekking pole or sturdy branch can function as a third balance point. Personally, I don't find them that useful. The current will pull at them and the point can suddenly slip away. I rather rely on my own sense of balance. 

Wading through a river in a little group in Iceland. Quite deep but pretty easy thanks to the calm flow and pebble bed of this river. 

Crossing techniques
The stone hopping technique is the most pupular. It's fun and keeps your feet dry, what's not to like? Except that it's not always possible, of course. And that's is really easy to slip or trip and hurt yourself. My advice would be to only attempt this when the stones are dry and lie so close together you can make the steps without jumping.
Wading across facing the opposite shore, slightly angled against the current, is my favorite method to get to the other side. Some prefer to step sideways across, facing against the current. A stable but slow trait.
If you are hiking in a group, you can link arms and cross together in pairs of two or three, so when one member loses balance the others can keep them on their feet.
In a situation where you are truly desperate and simply have to get to the other side of a deep river, it is probably safer to look for a deep but calm part of the river (or a lake even), strap your backpack unto your inflated sleeping mat, and swim across, than to try to wade through deep fast flowing water.  

Watching a fellow Dutch hiker ford a river on the Arctic Circle Trail, Greenland. I was already on the other side, having choosen a deeper but calmer place to cross.

What to do when you fall in
Swimming in white water is an almost entirely seperate skill from swimming in calm water. I would advice to look into tours or courses with a cerified river guides and appropriate safety materials if you really want to learn how to navigate rivers. A super general advise, based on my experience with canoeing and rafting: if you fall in despite the best of your efforts and are swept away, don't try to stand up or swim. The risk of head injury from contact with underwater objects is too great. Instead, shed your backpack, turn on your back, feet in front of you so your legs can absorb any shocks, and wait until you are carried away to calmer water before aiming for the shore.    

I'd love to hear you thoughts and experiences with river crossings on trail.