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Emergencies

For medical matters, EU residents need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Holders are entitled to free or subsidised emergency treatment in Italy, which has an excellent national health service. UK residents can apply online at www.dh.gov.uk. Australia has a similar reciprocal agreement – see www.medicareaustralia.gov.au. Other nationalities should take out suitable equivalent insurance. In any case, travel insurance for a walking holiday is also strongly recommended, as the costs of rescue and repatriation can be considerable. Members of Alpine clubs are usually covered, but do check before you depart.

The following may be of help should problems arise.

 Polizia (police) Tel 113

 Tel 118 for health-related emergencies including ambulanza (ambulance) and soccorso alpino (mountain rescue)

 ‘Help!’ in Italian is Aiuto! (pronounced ‘eye-you-tow’). Pericolo is ‘danger’

Should help be needed during a walk, use the following internationally recognised rescue signals: SIX signals per minute either visual (waving a handkerchief or flashing a torch) or audible (shouting or whistling), repeated after a pause of one minute. The answer is THREE visual or audible signals per minute, to be repeated after a one-minute pause. Anyone who sees or hears a call for help must contact the nearest source of help, a mountain hut or police station for example, as quickly as possible.