mountain rescue

We were at Høgevarde – a cottage that sleeps 27 people, and that have restaurant facilities. This year, the restaurant was managed by a team of contributors, myself included, where we offered hot food and drinks to the skiers who visited.

All well. So where is the security in all this?

Part of the concept of these cottages is to provide shelter to travelers in the high mountain. They serve as a resting place. And most importantly, they serve as a rescue point in the high mountain when you are in distress.

And during Easter in Norway, many people travel to the mountain. They use their skiing skills only this time of year, and their knowledge of the mountain dangers are usually what they read in the paper or watch on the TV. You know, there is a bit of a difference watching a winter storm on the TV, sitting in your warm city house, and actually being in the middle of a winter storm in the high mountains.

As we experienced first hand this Easter.

Thursday came the storm. It was not a surprise, as it had been forecasted. What was a bit of a surprise was the high number of visitors we had this day. Some of them where dressed properly, and carried full winter rescue equipment – including shovel.

Others where dressed highly inappropriate. One guy in particular came with his son and a dog. The dog and son wore suitable clothing, but the father came as if he where to take a quick walk in the forest.

They had their break, and headed back down towards the valley. We gave it no particular thought. Until half an hour later the father returned. This time alone. And blue – as only the cold can make you.

We heated him up with some toddy and soup. And he had learned an important lesson about the mountain – always be prepared and dress appropriately.

Later that day, a couple of the experienced mountaineers dressed him up, equipped him with map and compass (which we had to teach him how to use too), and followed him halfway down to the valley. On their way back to the cottage, they (the experienced ones) managed to loose their direction in the storm, and spent some precious time trying to navigate their way back.

Thanks to their experience and equipment (map, compass and GPS), they kept their heads cool and found their way back.

We can learn a lot by such experiences, and we can apply it to the corporate security world too.

For example:

–       Be prepared for eventualities like a winter storm. In the corporate world that means disaster and recovery planning. It also means appropriate training and user awareness. By being prepared, you bring with you the experience and tools required to help you survive a hopeless situation.

–       There is no shame in turning around. In the corporate world this means that when you see that you are not able to complete what you set out to do (implement a new security tool, developing a new method, applying a patch, changing configs etc), take a time out. Revert to a last known good configuration, and reconsider. Perhaps you need to ask for help from someone more experienced?

–       Know your surroundings. Some mountains are easier to descend than others. If your mountain is too big, dig in and stay alive. Your survival is more likely if you get off the mountain and down into the valley, but some mountains does not allow you to do that. Thus, you need to know which strategy to choose.  In the corporate world this means that you need to know your position and environment. Sometimes you can wait things off, other times you need to get off your high horse and reconsider your approach.

–       There is always sun after rain. No storm lasts forever. Keep a positive mind, and focus on staying alive while it lasts. Always remember that eventually (and it may feel like never), the storm will move on and the sun arrives. In the corporate world this means that when the storm is on; stay focused on your goals, while riding off the storm. Keep doing the things that works; build a positive – but realistic – image about the situation. It may be a virus that takes down the full network, or it may be a media disaster – no matter what it is, only by keeping your focus on short term “staying alive” activities while remembering that sun will eventually arrive, will you not only survive, but be a stronger organization when the storm is over.

The guy we dressed up?

He made it down to the valley. He spent Friday as a perfect host for his guests. And Saturday, when the storm was gone and the sun shone all over the mountain, he went back up to us. With his son and wife. And the equipment he borrowed. We shared toddy and a waffle.

And we share the experience.

I still do not know his name. But I got my compass back. And I know we both will be humble when preparing our next visit to the high mountains.