Intermediate points are rally points placed every 3-5 km along each escape route, serving as rest stops, decision points and places to regroup. A 15 km route has 2-4 of them, each used for a headcount, a check for pursuit and a rest of about 10 minutes, and they must be sited where there is cover, a way on and, if the group splits, a view or path to the other route.
Part of Escape Route Planning
Intermediate points are the named stopping places strung along an escape route between the initial rally point and the destination, used to rest, count, decide and regroup.
A Long Route Needs Places To Stop That Are Chosen In Advance
A group on a long walk stops anyway, and if it has not chosen where, it stops at the first convenient place, which is often in the open. The parent article places intermediate points every 3-5 km along each route, uses them as rest stops, decision points and reassembly locations, and has them marked during rehearsals so that everyone recognises them. If the group splits, with some taking one route and some another, intermediate points on converging routes should be visible or reachable from both paths.
What You Need
- A route already mapped and walked. See Route Design.
- Cover and concealment at each point, and no more than one obvious approach.
- A way on in at least two directions, so the point is not a dead end.
- Water, if possible, or a cache; see Staged Equipment and Hidden Food Caches.
- A marker that the household recognises and strangers do not read as significant.
Method: Space, Site, Use
Step 1: Space them by time as well as distance. At 3 km/h, 3-5 km is 60-100 minutes of walking, which is about where a mixed group needs a rest. A hilly or rough leg needs a closer spacing.
Step 2: Site each point off the track, behind cover, with a clear view toward the route you came by and the route onward.
Step 3: Make the stop routine. Count heads, check the rear for pursuit, drink, check feet, rest about 10 minutes (the parent article), then move on.
Step 4: Decide at each point. Is the next leg still open? Has the threat changed? The planned triggers in Trigger Criteria apply here too.
Step 5: Record who is where. If the group splits, the next point is where it rejoins.
Worked Example: How Many Points On A 15 km Route
- Spacing 5 km: points at 5 and 10 km, with the destination at 15 km. Two points.
- Spacing 3 km: points at 3, 6, 9 and 12 km. Four points.
- Time between stops at 3 km/h: 3 ÷ 3 = 1.0 h (60 min) to 5 ÷ 3 = 1.67 h (100 min).
- Rest time added: 2 points × 10 min = 20 min, to 4 × 10 = 40 min.
So a 15 km route has 2-4 points and 20-40 minutes of rests built into it, which the timetable in Distance and Timing should include.
Common Mistakes
- Resting where the track is easy, not where it is hidden. Easy ground is also where others walk.
- Making every point identical. Under stress people confuse them. Each should have its own distinct feature.
- No exit from the point. If a pursuer comes the group is cornered.
- Skipping the count. The group splits without anyone noticing.
Safety
Rest stops cool the body and expose the group
A stop in wet or cold weather lets sweat chill and body temperature fall; add a layer at every stop and watch for the early signs in Hypothermia. Never rest in a gully, dry watercourse or under a slope that can slide. In a heat wave shade and water matter more than distance.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Final Destination — where the route ends
- Combine with: Staged Equipment — supplies waiting at the points