The surface of the swamp often looks very deceptive - dense moss has spread out as a carpet, thick grass beckons to walk on it. Knowing about the peculiarities of walking in the swamp, you can protect yourself from the treachery of this reservoir.
Bogs, so frightening an inexperienced person with the unexpected appearance of swamps, are an interesting object of both fishing and naturalistic research. But before you go to collect cranberries or to study methods of hunting a marsh flower - sundew, it is important to first make sure that the swamp is passable and take care of safety measures.
Passable and impassable swamps
Impenetrable swamps can be identified by dense thickets of reeds, a lot of greenery: grasses and duckweed floating on the surface of the water, or, conversely, the complete absence of any vegetation on the water. The impassable swamp will make itself felt with dense growth of water-loving willow, alder, spruce or birch.
Pines growing on it, a solid thick layer of sphagnum moss - both its young growth and the remains of a half-decayed old one - will signal the passability of the swamp. The passability of peat bogs is determined by the state of peat compressed in the palm of your hand. If peat under compression almost does not lose its volume, and water either does not emit at all, or is emitted in drops, the swamp is considered passable. If the peat is liquid and is forced through a fist, such a swamp is impassable and very dangerous.
Walking in low-lying swamps
Low-lying bogs are found in river floodplains, replenished by ground or surface water. Such swamps are considered the most treacherous and dangerous to pass. You need to move through the low-lying swamp without much haste and sudden movements, but also without stopping. Before passing the swamp, you need to find a solid pole on which you can lean and explore the soil before each step. The safest movement is along the bumps and tree roots protruding from the water. When stepping on a bump, you need to lean on a pole, put your foot on the very middle of the ledge; the roots are strongest at the trunk, so you need to step on this part. In no case should you jump from bump to bump or to another root - only smooth, careful movements. In case of falling into a swamp, it is necessary to put the pole horizontally, lie on it with your chest and drop the load, if any. You need to get out of the swamp slowly, without panic and sudden movements.
Walking through the raised bogs
High bogs are replenished mainly by atmospheric precipitation, although sometimes they can also be found on watersheds. Walking in raised bogs has a characteristic feature: the most dangerous places near such reservoirs are the points of entry and exit, most of all filled with water. For movement, it is best to stay close to the trees, bypassing places covered with duckweed and grass, pointing to the swamp. Likewise, areas with open water should be avoided as under them there may be a hole several meters deep. If it is impossible to bypass such places, you will have to pave a hedge of young trees, throwing them across the route.
