January to December 2011

Mountain in England annd Wadles Cave Rescue Review of the year 2 £ : n o i t a n o D d e t s e g g u January to December 2 011 S Fi rst Word Chairman 02 Dav id All an This first ever published ‘Review of the Year’ certainly reflects the challenges, variety and commitment associated with rescue. I think it unlikely we even considered the ‘law of unintended consequences’ when we made the decision, some years back, to make the skills of mountain rescue teams freely available, to local communities and to other SAR services, for incidents away from the mountains. Perhaps we believed at the time that the frequency of mountain in cidents had reached its zenith. We were certainly wrong on this count. However, despite the rise in the are no accounts of incidents when number of incidents on the hills, plus the teams failed to accomplish a rescue. At increased variety and frequency of a time when air ambulances feature events away from the hills, mountain prominently in the public gaze it must rescue teams have taken all this in their be remembered that in the dark and in stride and continue to deliver an entirely bad weather, when a significant voluntary service, 365 days a year. number of the most testing incidents Although many untoward episodes occur, this facility is not available and on the hills are the result of a rather mountain rescue teams are the only careless underestimation of the service on call. importance of weather and time by The many hours of training demanded some, the majority of incidents are from team members to achieve this down to simple bad luck experienced level of competence is considerable. by well-provisioned walkers and climbers. Added to this the requirement to maintain Mountain rescue is firmly committed to equipment and raise funds takes the freedom of the hills for all and within mountain rescue into the realms of a that must be the freedom to take some second job for many. Without the risks and learn from experience. support of unseen and unsung families The importance of the ability to many team members could not adventure was well summarised by contribute to the extent that is seen. Wilfrid Noyce, for a period regarded as Remarkably the service is not short of the best mountaineer in the country. volunteers and all the indicators show ‘If adventure has a final and that mountain rescue will continue to all-embracing motive, it is surely this: we provide the high standard it has go out because it is our nature to go established both on and off the hills. Mountain and Cave Awareness out, to climb mountains, and to paddle We would welcome your feedback Weekend: 5-7 May: Events will be rivers and plunge into the depths of the taking place across England and Wales on our work and on this Review of the oceans... When man ceases to do – this is a great opportunity to meet Year. You can contact me via our these things , he is no longer man.’ and support your local team and find website at www.mountain.rescue.org.uk. out more about what they do. If the presence of mountain rescue enables more people to seek adventure National Training Day: Plas y this alone is a worthwhile achievement. 03 Brenin: Saturday 5 May: A chance Left: A very difficult rescue on Easy Gully, Pavey for team members to network with Amongst the records that show Ark, Great Langdale with Langdale Ambleside MRT. other teams and hone their skills. episodes when parties have simply lost Above: Taking care of a casualty, inside the cas their way, there are accounts of difficult shelter. Top right: Lakes dog handler Roger Pickup UK MR Conference: Leeds search dog training on Mickledon. University: 7-9 September: and protracted rescues that have All images and cover shot © Paul Burke. England and Wales play host to this tested teams’ abilities severely. There biennial event in 2012, entertaining delegates from Scottish and Irish mountain rescue. 2 1 0 2 Key Dates All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) are non-party political gatherings of MPs and representatives from the House of Lords who have a shared interest and a . d l shared commitment to a topic. There has been some e 04 i f r sort of APPG for mountain rescue in England and Wales a G l y r since 1997 but it was revitalised after the 20 10 election a D when the newly elected member for Penrith and the © Borders, Rory Stewart MP, took on leadership of the group. ‘My constituency work and interest in mountain rescue,’ says David. ‘It has G mountains and uplands had taught me been particularly good to see individual O that government needed to back our MPs from the group visiting their local L voluntary mountain and cave rescue teams and becoming much better THREE TEAMS INVOLVED teams,’ says Rory. ‘Our first priority as an informed about their skills and IN THE RESCUE OF AN t APPG was to push — hard — on the commitment.’ n Treasur y ’s door and find a way through ‘The APPG as a whole was INJURED CAVER ON e the problems surrounding a VAT instrumental in securing the grant CHRISTMAS DAY: d exemption or rebate, or a grant to towards equipment for the 20 11-12 25 DECEMBER i support the service. The announcement period and into the future. It is proving c of that financial support, during 20 11, very valuable for us to have such a It’s oft-repeated that team n was our first major achievement and specific point of contact.’ members are on call 24/7, I we’ve been consolidating the APPG ‘The aim is a very light touch ‘whatever’ and many can testify to membership and connections ever since.’ involvement,’ says Rory. ‘Some charities the children’s birthdays, family That consolidation has included an have recently focused on advocacy celebrations and romantic dinner emphasis on a membership that and policy discussions, but I don’t think dates cut short by the insistent WOODHEAD MP involves a cross-section of interested it’s always a good idea. I feel the secret bleep of the pager. And, for JOINS THE MPs and Lords: from all political parties, of the traditional — and successful — members of three northern rescue CELEBRATIONS: from both Houses, not too Cumbrian mountain rescue approach is getting teams this year, any Christmas and not only upland areas. on with the job and being firmly Day feasting and post-dinner ‘We’ve now got members from Wales embedded in each team’s local 20 JUNE TV-watching was put firmly on and the Peak District as well as Tony community. I see our role as supporting hold at 5.40pm by a call to The Member of Parliament for Cunningham, Jamie Reed (Labour), Tim that continuing emphasis. We’re there rescue an injured caver. Penistone and Stocksbridge, the Farron (Liberal Democrat) and myself to promote and publicise when needed The 39-year-old man had Rt Hon Angela Smith (Labour), is and John Stevenson (Conservative) from and to pursue issues when appropriate. suffered a serious leg injury, when an APPG member who has Cumbria and those with links to lowland For instance, we’re hoping to create an hit by a falling boulder in strengthened connections with her rescue teams too,’ says Rory, ‘as well as event in Parliament, probably late in Molluscan Hall in the Ease Gill local team in recent years. connections to climbing and caving.’ 2012 or in 2013, so that we can inform system, on the western fringe of Woodhead MRT, based near The APPG meets roughly every three our colleagues about the nature of the Yorkshire Dales. Members of Holmfirth in West Yorkshire, months and has rapidly established search and rescue in the UK and raise the Clapham-based Cave Rescue celebrated the official opening of strong links to MREW officers, especially awareness more generally through our Chairman, David Allan, and to local news media and other channels. That is Organisation, with Upper its refurbished HQ and the new teams. something that we as an APPG can do Wharfedale FRA and Kendal MRT Woodhead Barn facilities in June. ‘During the past eighteen months, to help and to promote the work already gave the man pain relief and (www.woodheadbarn.co.uk) the APPG has been revitalised and has being done by MRT volunteers and splinted his leg before bringing ‘Angela Smith spoke at the begun to take a more active interest in supporters across the country.’ him to the surface via County Pot, opening event,’ says Scott Roberts Friends in high ten hours after he went underground. of the Woodhead team, ‘and she . e Kendal team members k talked to our guests about our r u stretchered the man – described B local activities as well as the l The secret of the traditional – and successful u a as a ‘six-foot-tall, heavy casualty’ broader aspects of mountain P – mountain rescue approach is getting on with places © – across wet and boggy ground to rescue teams across the country, 05 the job and being firmly embedded in each an ambulance waiting at Bull Pot particularly the support for the team’s local community Farm. The injured caver was then emergency services in taken to hospital and rescuers non-mountain work such as were back home around midnight. floods and winter weather conditions.’ Our me ssage News LOG in government Helping save lives from 06 Patterdale via the Peak District to South Snowdonia..

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