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...

The first Saturday in Back in the Spring, Jaguar Land Rover Land Rovers to another team, Glossop September saw gave Prince William and his bride-to-be, MRT in the Peak District and they, in turn, Miss Catherine Middleton, a Land Rover have passed on a vehicle to the South representatives of about as a wedding present. As Patron of Snowdonia team.’ fourteen different MRTs Mountain Rescue England and Wales, During the summer, the wedding gathering in Deeside, just Prince William, now HRH The Duke of present Land Rover, a Defender 110 Utility over the Welsh border Cambridge, handed the gift on to MREW. Wagon with a 2.4 litre Puma engine and David Allan, Chairman of Mountain 6-speed manual transmission, was in from Chester, to see the Rescue England and Wales, takes up an industrial unit in Deeside, home of results of a generous the story: ‘We arranged for the names the North Wales Police Commissioning wedding gift that of the fifty or so teams to be put in a Centre (NWPCC). became a Royal hat and then, on his brother’s behalf, Huw Jones and his team at the Prince Harry picked out a winner at a NWPCC specialise in work on all sorts of donation, and that is now meeting of the Princes’ Charities Forum. police and other emergency vehicles, saving lives on the The Patterdale team’s name came out making sure that they’re adapted for Cumbrian hills. of the hat and, since the draw, they’ve specific purposes and equipped for a passed on one of their range of specialist roles. They worked with Daryl Garfield, Vehicles Officer for MREW, and Neil Barrow of Patterdale MRT, on the interior and exterior of the Land Rover to create a state-of-the-art rescue vehicle including off-road capability, roll cage, high visibility livery and emergency services warning systems. ‘We’ve worked on similar conversions over the past six years,’ says Huw, ‘but we always knew that this one would be high profile because of the back story to the original donation of the vehicle.’ On Saturday 3 September, the vehicle was unveiled as part of an open day at NWPCC, attended by representatives of Jaguar Land Rover, Mountain Rescue England and Wales, North Wales Police and team members from search and rescue teams across England and Wales. It has been at work in the Cumbrian mountains ever since and Patterdale MRT handed over their vehicle to the Glossop team in a ripple effect early in 2012.

Main shot and inset: The Wedding Present Land Rover – almost ready to rescue! Top: Martin Cotterell (Patterdale Team Leader) and Dave Freeborn (Patterdale) take a sneaky peak; Daryl Garfield (MREW 07 Vehicles Officer), David Allan (MREW Chairman), Martin Cotterell, Andy Gunther (NWPCC), John Williams (Patterdale Chairman) and Dave Freeborn at NWPCC in September © Judy Whiteside. Above: John The Royal Williams hands the keys over to members of Glossop team in January 2012 © Patterdale MRT. Wedding gift Incident figures fell in 2 011 , so how This year’s facts exceptional were the previous two years?

08 Annual numbers of mountain rescue deployments over the last three years have risen and figures sharply before falling again in 2011. But how do those ‘incidents’ break down into ‘mountain’ and ‘non-mountain’ activities and is there a monthly pattern? And how do the figures affect the mountain rescue service?

After a two year high for some areas – notably the ‘Mountain’ activities are those leisure are many instances where the police, Lakes and North Wales – it appears that ‘normality’ has pursuits that are mountain or wilderness fire and ambulance services require the related — principally hill walking (about specialised expertise, equipment and resumed! Concerns that the numbers might continue 75%) and rock climbing (about 10%). experience of mountain rescue to fulfil ever upwards would appear to be unfounded. but also adventure activities such as their statutory duties. hang gliding, parapenting, mountain Unlike the ‘mountain’ figures, there is biking and orienteering. All tend to low no clear monthly pattern. Calls fluctuated Mountain points in December, February and between 20 and 50 per month — 2011 also saw a substantial reduction frustration among teams about the March and high points during May to relatively few. But, for the teams involved, in the fatality rate — and the majority of continuing number of persons reported October. High points in April and May they form a considerable proportion of these deaths were medical rather than lost or overdue. These are the types of correspond to Easter and May bank their workload. traumatic. incidents that are avoidable. In these holidays. With few exceptions, monthly The fluctuations in January and Mountain biking accidents have cases, the persons involved generally deployments in 2010 were highest, with December exactly match periods of doubled in both relative and absolute show a lack of preparation — before the exception of the spring holiday severe wintry weather across England terms. Opportunities for following venturing out, they failed to plan their periods — spring and summer weather and Wales which severely stretched the prepared trails have increased but the route with sufficient care, they didn’t in 2010 was particularly poor. Ambulance Service. inherently dangerous consequences of plan for their whole group’s abilities, January and February reflect the Mountain rescue teams were able to an accident have been highlighted they failed to gain sufficient experience effects of severe wintry weather in 2009 provide manpower in 4x4 transport, with a fatality to one rider. Most of the at navigation or they failed to take the and 2010. Heavy snow and low coupled with a high level of medical previous recorded fatalities while appropriate equipment to navigate temperatures gave rise to excellent care, to fill the gap and this was equally mountain biking resulted from medical with. The underlying reasons for this are conditions for winter climbing and true in rural and urban areas. Their collapses. This should bring home the an ignorance of the fundamental walking, hence the dramatic increase expertise, equipment and local need for care and experience gained importance of navigation and the in deployments. knowledge were also invaluable in under controlled conditions. failure to master the basics of good Deployments during the summer accessing remote roads where motorists, There appears to be considerable navigation and route planning. of 2010 were markedly higher than the commercial and private, were stranded other years which appears directly by snow drifts. related to visitor numbers. Anecdotal Using approximate figures, these evidence from the tourism industry increases in deployments account for A summary of the last five years’ mountain incidents and supports this. an extra eighty in 2009 and 240 in accidents in England and Wales. Speculation that 2010 was an 201 0, compared to 20 11 — clearly Year Incidents Fatalities Injured Persons exceptional year appears justified — significant, especially when the duration assisted based on visitors taking their holidays in of deployments is taken into account. 20 11 1062 33 668 1307 this country, especially in the areas of Increases in incident numbers have 20 10 1120 53 659 1397 national parks. Changes in holiday always been attributable to adverse 2009 1059 37 667 1471 patterns appear to result from a reduction weather conditions but the service can 2008 886 48 557 1202 in foreign holidays by UK residents and manage this, even during prolonged not an increase in visitors from abroad. period of severe winter conditions. Visitor 2007 796 33 501 1141 The figures should not be interpreted patterns do influence ‘mountain’ incidents as a likely indicator of future trends, but overall, they appear quite minor however, as early analysis suggests there and do not affect every team. All of A summary of the last five years’ non-mountain incidents and Non-mountain were a number of exceptional factors mountain rescue, however, is affected accidents in England and Wales. at play in 2010. during periods of severe wintry weather. 09 Year Incidents Fatalities Injured Persons The drop in non-mountain incident ‘Non-mountain’ incidents consist So... 2010 was, indeed, an assisted numbers is much more dramatic than mainly of search and resilience activities exceptional year — which can be 20 11 449 53 107 318 with mountain incidents. It is interesting in support of the statutory emergency explained, in small part, by changes in 20 10 704 44 118 335 to note that the overall level of services where access problems or visitor patterns but chiefly by its 2009 597 59 126 401 non-mountain activity has levelled out, unprecedented demand required our exceptional weather. 20 11 saw a return 2008 457 67 99 346 matching the figures of three and four assistance. Thankfully, the number of to something closer to ‘normal’. 2007 462 38 89 325 years earlier. major incidents remains small but there

Top: Ogwen Valley MRO in training © Dave Jones. Above: Scarborough & Ryedale team Land Rover © Judy Whiteside. There is much in the media about the downsides of walkers in the mountains relying on mobile phone technology for navigation and safety, rather than the traditional skills with a map and compass. Mountain rescuers have plenty of experience of the 10 negatives but teams are also developing the tools to make the most of the positive benefits and opportunities too. SARCALL and SARLOC are two systems that are already showing how texting and smartphone technology can come to the aid of an injured or lost walker.

John Hulse of Ogwen Valley MRO in web technology helping both rescuers G North Wales is responsible for the and the rescued.’ development of SARCALL, a system that SARCALL is firmly based on mountain O enables a local police force to call out and cave rescue teams’ operational SARLOC AIDS L the right team at the right time for the needs and this principle is key to the on- right job together with enabling teams going development of the system. One SEARCHERS TWICE IN t

to send messages and share more recent request quickly developed ONE WEEKEND: n operational logs. into the SMS Response module of the 26/27 NOVEMBER e

‘There’d been a centralisation of our system. Here team members can use d Police Force Communications Centre their mobiles and send an SMS text to SARLOC proved its worth in the i

(FCC) and the staff there were trying to inform leaders of their availability once Lake District and Snowdonia, with c . T R

deal with mountain search and rescue a call-out has been initiated. This two incidents over the same n M I e l call-outs across an area spanned by information is then available in a number weekend in November. a d s

a eight different teams, each one with of formats and allows a team leader to In the first, a couple from Derby, W slightly different procedures. We needed make informed decisions right at the in their late twenties, had set off to © e

k to create a simple, accessible system start of a job, a critical period for any climb Scafell Pike. The weather i P l l rescue. conditions on the mountain were e f a

c We needed to In early 20 11, SARLOC followed on the extremely poor with high winds, S

n heels of SARCALL and, in just one year, o create a simple driving rain and visibility down to h

c has already contributed to over 250 r five metres in dense cloud. Totally

a accessible system for e call-outs. Russ Hore — a member of the s disorientated on the summit a FCC staff to call us Ogwen Valley team who was involved e

k plateau, around 50m below the a t

r out as easily and in the development of the forerunner of

e 978m summit – and unsure where d

n SARCALL successfully used on the

u efficiently as possible they were – and with only one

T Ogwen site for over a year — developed R small torch between them, they M and make it easy for FCC staff to call us SARLOC so that mountain rescuers could e l

a called the police mid-afternoon.

d out as easily and efficiently as possible.’ locate a lost person using the web s

A Wasdale team members mobilised SARCALL went live in North Wales in browser built into many smartphones. W :

t with haste. e August 2009 and the system has since ‘As long as the person has a signal s n I handled more than 1,600 search and and has sent an alert to 999, we can Fortunately the walkers were

s carrying a smartphone so the n rescue call-outs from UK police forces. send them a text message with the URL o b

b team could get a message to the i In some cases, the elapsed time of a web page which automatically G

n between the police operator logging requests the phone’s location,’ says couple which allowed them to o d When mobile r feed back the phone’s exact grid o into SARCALL, selecting the team, writing Russ. ‘The smartphone then sends its G and sending the SMS message and the position to the team — accurate to less reference position to the rescue © T

R team leader(s) responding to the FCC is than 100 metres — and this is displayed base in Gosforth. M

d less than three minutes — a remarkable on a screen map in the team’s base in Nine team members headed to a

technolo gy e h response level that can only benefit the seconds. At the same time, the caller their location, with a further five d o

o casualty. receives a message reassuring them back at base ready to bring up W : t John continues the story: ‘SARCALL is that the team know where they are and additional gear if the walkers, who o h s now in active use by 35 teams in the help is on its way. It couldn’t be much were very cold, tired and wet, n i

leads the w ay a UK, including most of the cave rescue simpler and shows that new technology were unable to make their own 11 M teams together with two Scottish mountain can be used to make things safer in the way down. They were quickly rescue teams. We’ve also seen interest mountains too.’ found, warmed and assisted from government and military agencies down the mountain. The six-hour who see the opportunities for rapid and SARLOC clearly search ended, with everyone safely reliable dispatching and communications demonstrates how off the mountain, at 7.00pm. SARLOC together with the benefits of sharing operational information and links as part new technology can TURN TO NEXT PAGE of the message. It’s definitely a good be used to make  and S ARC ALL example of mobile phone, email and things safer in the mountains. Incident LOG

CLIMBERS RESCUED IN MARATHON ELEVEN-HOUR OPERATION ON CRAIG YR ISFA, NORTH WALES: 23 JULY

On Saturday, 23 July, three North Wales Police contacted communications from the top of members were on the crag so when the X-ray demonstrated a food was laid out. The twinkling 12 members of North East Wales the team leaders of Ogwen via the crag to Oggi Base are good. now there was time to consider locked dislocation with a large head torches of the rescue party Mountaineering Club went to SARCALL shortly before 1700hrs. However, despite a series of logistics. There were twelve team ‘Hill Sacks lesion’, typically not could be seen descending the climb on Craig yr Isfa. This crag at Two team members and two strategically situated members out on the hill – many reducible without an anaesthetic). crag, their pace increased by the the back of Cwm Eigiau (a hanging trainees, who had been climbing repeater/link stations around of whom had been on the The challenge was to get the smell of sausage butties wafting valley above the Conwy Valley) in the Ogwen Valley, were in Oggi North Wales, the dog’s hind leg mountain for leisure earlier in the casualty back into the line of the from below, until... and below the east slopes of Base. They were immediately shape of Cwm Eigiau prevents day – who now needed food and gully so he could be lowered The crew of the Sea King had Carnedd Llewelyn) gives nearly deployed by Land Rover up the good comms from the crag itself. drink. If the rescue went to plan, down to the bottom. To do this, been disappointed to be unable 1000ft of classic rock climbing as track to Ffynnon Llugwy reservoir To overcome this, a team the casualty would be lowered to both casualty and rescuer had to to hasten the whole rescue by FROM PREVIOUS well as routes of much higher from where they were to make member was able to place his the foot of the crag, then down be raised about 40m. winching the casualty directly off  PAGE grades. Two of the classic routes their way to the top of Craig yr Isfa Land Rover on a suitable high the 200ft high scree to the back Fortunately, the casualty was the rock face, so they had offered are the Amphitheatre Buttress on foot. The first problem for the spot at the entrance to the cwm, of the cwm where, hopefully, 22 not a stretcher case. So, with some to return in the early hours to (960 ft V.Diff) and Great Gully team leaders was to establish high above the Conwy Valley. Squadron would return in the assistance and a very brave face, winch him from the back of the In the second incident, in North (725 ft hard V.Diff). exactly where the casualty was. (As the evening and rescue early hours of the morning to he was lowered to the screes cwm. Good to their word, and to Wales, SARLOC led Ogwen Valley The leader was introducing two The weather was fine and with progressed, he was supplied winch him to safety. The ten or below and out to a good winching the relief of the rescue party, the team members directly to two less experienced rock climbers to long daylight hours, it was decided with supper of hot lasagne, so team members who would location by about 1.30am. Sea King returned... just after the 58-year-old lost walkers, after the multi-pitch climbing. They had to request the assistance of RAF delivered on horseback!) have descended the crag along Meanwhile, back at Base, the picnic had been spread out. Alas pair set off with neither map nor decided to climb the popular 22 Squadron. The Sea King The crag party comprised with the remaining two climbers team leader had arranged for the it was too late! compass, heading for Moel Siabod, Amphitheatre Buttress. However, overflew the crag but realised that twelve team members including would also arrive at the back of deployment of food and drinks The casualty was winched to just south of Plas y Brenin. The after the long walk in, they found a winch from that location was five well experienced in technical the cwm in the early hours. They for the party of ten and two safety and flown to hospital in pair, with one torch between several other parties had the same not easily feasible. So, the rope rescue, two trainees, two would be tired and hungry and climbers who were descending Bangor, whilst team members them, quickly ran into low cloud, idea, so they opted for a similarly helicopter picked up the two from paramedics and one orthopaedic would be facing the one hour or to the back of the cwm. Two hastily gathered the pieces of heavy rain and high winds. graded route, Great Gully. the Hasty Party, overflew the surgeon. Several problems faced so walk out to the road head. team members with a carrier bag meat, bread, sauce, grass and By 4.00pm, when they still They had climbed the first couple casualty site and then deposited the rescue party. First, was to As the crag party was full of lovingly cooked sausages, sheep droppings and bundled it hadn’t found the summit – or got of pitches when the leader came them at the top of the crag. The locate the casualty. It wasn’t descending the gully in a series rolls, loads of chocolate and all back into the carrier bag ready anywhere near it – they called to the ‘Door Jamb’. This short, two trainees were then airlifted to known how far down the route of pitches, it was realised that several flasks of hot drinks were for the remainder of the troops. 999. When they were questioned steep and frequently wet chimney join them. The Sea King returned he was but it was known that he by the team leader, a definitive is usually avoided by moving out to Oggi Base to ferry more troops wasn’t in the gully but somewhere We had always respected the mountain rescue description of where they might be of the gully to the right. Once height and technical rescue equipment to north of it. Although the could not be established. In fact teams but, until this incident, had never appreciated is gained, climbers return to the the top of the crag. casualty’s injuries were reported some of the descriptions seemed gully. The leader moved to the right By about 1830hrs, enough as a dislocated shoulder, there how professional, skilled and generous they really contradictory. but possibly too far. It was here manpower and kit was at the top were fears the shoulder injury were.’ North East Wales Mountaineering Club There was some urgency for that he fell a short distance, of the crag. Anchors were could be masking other injuries. this search as one man had a dislocating his left shoulder. His established for the main and Was this to be a relatively easy more rope might be needed to sent around to the Conwy Valley With the casualty away to managed medical condition, and two colleagues were unable to safety ropes, and team members lower of the casualty to the scree complete the rescue. Manpower and up the steep gated road into hospital, it remained to get the having been out in the poor reach him and he was unable to were being deployed down the below, or was this to be a back at Oggi Base was limited at the hanging valley of Cwm two climbers, the rescue weather for such a long time, his retreat. Fortunately, one of the crag. Once in the gully, good complex stretcher lower? that time so a Land Rover, with Eigiau. The driver was keen to equipment and rescuers down to condition might have changed, party was able to get a mobile ‘rescue’ anchors were hard to find, Although the evening was fine additional ropes, was dispatched get the food to the rescue party safety. This was achieved by making the search and rescue phone signal to telephone for so the descent was made in and daylight remained until up the reservoir road and two before it got too cold. As he about 3.00am. Then the long more urgent. mountain rescue. pitches of about 50m. Radio 22.30 or so, this rescue was troops from the top of the crag drove up into the cwm, he only walk out of the cwm to two When team members reached going to be completed in the were sent down to meet it. As noted the closed gate at the waiting Land Rover Defender the party, the team’s GPS showed dark. Working on a large crag in more manpower arrived at Base, penultimate moment! The ultimate 130s, brought up the track to them to be standing within the a gully where any loose kit or lighting and hot drinks were moment was the realisation that, Eigiau Cottage. ‘You are here’ circle on the map! rocks will fall directly onto people dispatched to the top of the crag. if be braked hard, his lovingly Finally, all personnel arrived

. below requires the greatest of In the gully, the rescue party prepared food would be plastered back at Oggi Base at about O

R care. At every short pitch, good had been lowered in a series of all over the dashboard and 5.00am to a most welcome M y

e quality rescue anchors had to be pitches to where they were level windscreen. The decision was cooked breakfast and hot drinks. l l a V built for both main and safety with the casualty. In the darkness easy: a slightly bent car and gate Later that day, the party of 13 n e

w ropes as it wasn’t known exactly and about 300ft ( 100m) up this or the wrath of ten hungry team three returned to thank the team. g

O where the casualty would be cliff face, a delicate traverse was members? And we can also report that, in ©

g found. made to reach the casualty. The Vehicle access up the cwm the true spirit of mountaineering, n i K The team leader at Oggi Base doctor tried to reduce the was limited so it was Shank’s all the climbing kit abandoned on a e

S was confronted by many dislocation but without success – Pony to the back of the cwm. this rescue was retrieved by rock e h t challenges and decisions. not easy for either doctor or They had made excellent time by climbers a few days later and m o r

f Communications had been patient in the dark, 100m up a arriving before the rescue party at returned to Oggi Base. w e

i resolved with the positioning of a rock face. (Professional pride about 1.00am. With a flat area V link station, sufficient team was restored to some extent later of heather as the table top, the Mountain and cave rescuers need to be fit for action and many teams have doctors involved, not only for their expertise in dealing with casualties but also for the value of their shared knowledge. Dr John Ellerton is a member 14 of Patterdale MRT in Cumbria but is also involved with research into mountain medicine, both across the UK and internationally. Here, he writes about studies into the fitness of mountain rescuers.

The topic of mountain rescuer fitness This exploratory study was done with During 30 minutes at the casualty site, has been on the fringe for many years. I the aims of: rescuers prepared the stretcher with . n o

t wanted to quantify how hard mountain G Determining how fit a group of casualty (70kg water), vacuum mattress r e l l rescue is, and open a discussion on how mountain rescuers were by measuring and Entonox® apparatus before E

Fit for action n 2 h concerned we should be with rescuer their VO max — the gold standard for descending using a variety of methods o J

/ fitness. The full study was originally endurance fitness. — sledging, carrying and manhandling. T R

M published in the Emergency Medicine G Measuring the work done during a The results were striking. Ascent was e l

a Journal in 20 11. simulated, but realistic, rescue and much more strenuous than descent. In d r e t

t comparing the workload with other terms of heart rate (HR), it was greater a P Why should we be emergency services. than 154 per minute for 80% of the time ©

s concerned? Firstly, from the casualty’s G Investigating whether we could use during ascent, compared with only 6% e g

a perspective, time to hospital can be heart rate as a marker of work. during descent. The typical rescue load m i

t important in their medical outcome and The study could not have been done was 17% of body mass which increases e s n

I rescuer fitness is a small but important without: help from Jamie H Macdonald the work significantly. No other group of

s component of this. A casualty in a PhD, Lecturer in Clinical Exercise rescue workers has been shown to work n o

b hypothermia-inducing environment Physiology and Outdoor Activities at the for as long as MR — the maximum for b i G might be a few degrees colder by the School of Sport, Health and Exercise fire fighters was 25 minutes whilst we n o d

r time an unfit team arrives, with serious Sciences, Bangor University and Patterdale worked for 114 minutes! o

G consequences. We also know that if MRT; funding from MREW and equipment ©

e someone is operating close to their from Penrith Leisure Centre and Polar r Can heart rate be used as a a c maximum work capacity and then has watches. marker of work? The simple answer y t l

a to perform a skilled task, such as applying is yes. This means that instead of being u s

a 2

c a splint or giving a drug, performance is Measuring rescuers’ VO kitted out in fragile, expensive gas e k reduced. The fitter you are, the better. max. Wearing a portable gas analyser, analysers, we can use watches with a a t r e The second broad area encompasses the rescuer exercised on a treadmill at heart rate monitor. So we can measure d n u the welfare of the rescuer. Infrequent increasing gradients until exhausted. By work during real call-outs, carrying s r e

b heavy physical exertion is associated looking at each breath, we determined different kit, different loads, and in m

e with sudden death but fitter people oxygen uptake and found that for the different weather and type of call-out. m

m have some protection. In the ‘employed’ eight rescuers (age 46±9 years) the a

e 2 t world, such as the police and fire mean VO max was 52±4. This is well No other group of d a

e services, the employer has a duty to within the ‘excellent’ category and rescuers has been h d

o protect the health of the rescuer; work- comparable to much younger naval

o shown to work for as

W specific fitness testing and reaching a fire fighters. City ambulance men have : t long as MR... o

h minimum standard partly addresses this been found to be considerably less fit s 2 n i liability. Though not strictly applicable to (VO max 37). So rescuers are fit but do We have learnt a lot about mountain a

M MR, we need to look after our own. they need to be? rescue from this study. Rescuers work extremely hard and for long periods but What is already known? The Measuring work during a also appear to be self-selecting in having short answer is very little! There are simulated rescue. We designed a the required fitness to safely do what is plenty of opinions but few facts. Which realistic rescue scenario. For those required. 15 is the most strenuous part of rescue? Is it familiar with the Patterdale area, we Should we define a minimum standard going up or carrying the casualty down? chose Greenside, an incident hot spot of fitness? I suspect that no reasonable What developments would make MR above Red Tarn (approximately 3km standard will be physiologically easier, apart from helicopters? Is investing and 430m ascent) and the rescuers meaningful and it is better to rely on in lighter equipment or changing were encouraged to keep to logged self-selection. This works when we attract stretcher design more beneficial at times for real rescues. They also carried the right rescuers who are based in overcoming bottlenecks? We have no a standard rucksack load — half a Bell mountaineering and know what it is like data to prioritise our research. stretcher. to carry a big pack up a hill! LIMITED EDITION PENCILS GIFTED NEWS LOG TO MOUNTAIN RESCUE: JUNE

A unique and very valuable Keswick Pencil Museum . make a pre-emptive bid... gift, from Derwent Cumberland ‘The beautifully crafted case ‘I would like to take this Pencils, was donated last year to contains every pencil the opportunity to express our mark the wedding of Prince company makes and is an item gratitude to the company for Going underground William and Miss Catherine that anyone with more than a recognising mountain rescue in Middleton. passing interest in art and this way.’ 16 David Allan and Peter Bell illustration would dream of Cave rescues, by their nature, can be protracted and difficult affairs. Often, they can (MREW President) travelled to own ing,’ says David Allan. ‘The demand all the technical considerations of casualty recovery above ground – lighting, Keswick in December to receive intention is to auction the gift at steep ropework, medical care and stretcher handling – conducted against the clock the unusual wedding present a high profile event during 2012. of rising water levels along tight, convoluted passages of unforgiving rock. Miles from from Alex, who manages the But, if anyone would like to the nearest entry point. Not to mention the dangers of mud slide, rock fall and foul air!

G Despite all these factors, cavers tend to be an adventurous bunch, and with O good reason — under the ground is L OOPS! THE RESCUER arguably the only area of the British Isles CAVERS RESCUED where original exploration is still possible. t RESCUED: 4 SEPTEMBER AFTER FLOODS TRAP Each year enthusiasts find and explore n GROUP UNDERGROUND: When a mountain rescue About a kilometre in, he hit a kicked in, so he lay down on ‘I was touched by the new passages and shafts, pushing the e team members suffers an submerged branch on a the edge of the track. tenderness of the normally boundaries of their ‘playground’ ever 10 AUGUST d further into the earth. i accident, enjoying a day on the particularly wet section and ‘Lisa (a trainee team member) rough, tough mountaineers Cave rescue team members are all A group of four adults and eight

c hill or going about their daily catapulted over the bars. arrived, called me an idiot, and surrounding me. And it was a highly skilled and experienced cavers, teenagers became trapped in Long life, it ’s generally agreed they’d ‘I found myself sat upright on put a KISU over me. After a valuable experience to be on n with extensive knowledge of the technical Churn Cave following heavy I rather crawl on their hands and the forest floor with a GPS in quick chat we decided maybe I the receiving end for real.’ demands and dangers of their local rainfall and severe flooding in knees than face the inevitable one hand and my phone in the did need a bit of help after all, Richard had sustained a cave systems — so when an incident August. Rescuers had to wait for ribbing of their fellow team other. I rang my girlfriend, gave and she drove off to get a broken AC joint or clavicle (they occurs underground, they are key to any flood levels to subside before they mates. Until it actually happens. her the eight-figure grid ref and signal and call Huw, leaving still aren’t sure) but, thankfully, rescue operation. could enter the system on the As Richard Prideaux, deputy team briefly explained what had me with my MR rucksack and not a spinal injury. There are thirteen cave rescue teams lower slopes of Ingleborough but leader of North East Wales SAR happened, then asked her to radio just in case.’ ‘Did I crawl on my belly to the in England and Wales, three of which eventually the level fell for a short discovered, when he came off bring the car up to the forest Meanwhile, Huw had called roadside and keep it all hidden are also fell rescue teams, operating 50-minute period. his mountain bike in a forest. track. Then I rang the other out the team – AND the police from the team? No. Was I above and below ground. During 20 11, Search teams from Cave Rescue It was a wet Sunday afternoon deputy team leader and ask for helicopter, worried Richard was grateful they were called and I they undertook a total of 56 incidents Organisation, assisted by Upper and the weather seemed perfect a bit of advice. now lying unconscious in the received the care I did? Without underground, including two cave diving Wharfedale FRO – 48 team for a short blast on the bike so ‘Apparently, my conversational rain in a remote forest with doubt. Would I do it again? Not fatalities. And it’s interesting to note that members in total – were able to he picked up his biking rucksack, ability was hampered by the unknown injuries, in need of so sure... but it has given me a the incident report also lists one bull, locate the party sheltering beyond packed the usual bits – mostly fact I appeared to be drifting assistance. deeper appreciation for what it one cow, seven sheep, two lambs and the Cheese Press and assist them repair stuff, a small first aid kit about on the edge of ‘I could hear the distant six dogs amongst the casualties! Never to the surface, none the worse for a few other items, and a GPS. consciousness. And then my helicopter flying low, and my Did I crawl a dull moment. their ordeal. Some had lost their After half an hour of sweaty, phone died.’ pride winced at the thought it on my belly to wellington boots but all could skin-prickling ascent he’d A quick DIY primary survey may be for me. It made a the roadside progress the 200m to the exit. climbed 300m up into the hills established he wasn’t leaking couple of low passes so I dug and keep it all Due to water levels quickly and forest behind his farm and any red stuff in major around (with one arm, not rising again CRO had to abandon began to negotiate a series of quantities, everything else easy) in my MR rucksack and hidden from the ropes and equipment in the cave; trails cut into Clocaenog forest. seemed to be as mobile as it found a handsmoke. I pulled off team? No. this was retrieved later the The trails link firebreaks and was before, although his right the cap, fingered the ringpull following day when water levels forest roads with wet and arm was a bit swollen and and gave it a yank. I was is like to be a casualty and, once again fell to a safe level. mossy single track sections, painful. Having initially decided careful to point it away from my more importantly, what it’s like The trapped caving party requiring careful riding at the to walk back uphill to the track face but, unfortunately, pointed to be lying in the rain wondering included two instructors, eight best of times, and lead into and await his girlfriend he had it too far away and effectively if anybody’s coming to help you. young people aged between 16 some remote areas of the second thoughts when a sharp shot myself in the leg!’ ‘We shouldn’t underestimate and 25 and two adult leaders forest. pain either side of his C-spine Very soon, Lisa and the heli what it feels like to see a Land taking part in a personal crew arrived, followed by the Rover full of well-trained, development programme run by 17 team Land Rover. enthusiastic and disciplined the Groundwork organisation. A strange mixture of feelings volunteers turn up and know Long Churn Cave is often used welled up inside me. On one they’re there to help you. We all by novice caving parties, though it hand I was relieved it was my know that the call-out where we was the scene of two deaths mates coming to help me. I get to directly help somebody Facing page: Top: David Allan and Peter Bell with when Caroline Fletcher and Stuart knew they were good at what makes up for a dozen stand- Alex. Bottom: Richard Prideaux receives tender Goodwill drowned in 2007. they do, and they’d take care of downs and false starts, but cas care from a fellow team member © NEWSAR. me. I also knew I’d quite likely when YOU are the person being Left: Abseil underground © Gloucestershire Cave die from them taking the... well, rescued, that feeling is Rescue Group. Inset: Crawling through the slime you get the idea. multiplied a hundredfold.’ © Rob Eavis. Given that rescuers can be called to a huge range of situations and terrains, training is a massive part of any team member’s commitment. After basic search and 18 rescue training as a probationer, training includes rope work, winter skills, first aid and casualty care plus advanced driving, media skills and swiftwater rescue. And, once learned, all these skills must be maintained, practised and updated with alarming regularity.

Mike Margeson is MREW Training were represented in the programme G Officer and team leader of Duddon with topics from digital mapping to and Furness MRT. He leads a small equipment testing, steep angle rescue O group which ensures that the national to water challenges.’ TWO DOZEN CHILDREN L organisation provides the right courses, From an internal perspective, another workshops and back up to provide milestone was the completion of new RESCUED AFTER BOY t

relevant shared training opportunities for National Guidelines on Rope Rescue. FALLS 100FT: 8 JULY n

the individual teams. ‘The Training subcommittee had e

‘One of the highlights of 20 11 was been working on these for two years,’ A party of schoolchildren was d the successful relaunch of the National says Mike, ‘and it was great to see these rescued from a hillside in June, i

Training,’ says Mike. ‘We planned for voted on and accepted at a national after one of them fell 100ft c

about 60 people but there was so much meeting in May. The next step is to sustaining suspected spine and n demand, we ended up with almost 140 review the MREW Party Leader and Team spleen injuries. I team members gathering at the National Member Guidelines, which are over ten The major six-hour operation Mountaineering Centre, Plas Y Brenin, in years old and in need of updating and involved four mountain rescue May. All the specialist subcommittees confirmation.’ teams in the Brecon Beacons National Park. Central Beacons MRT was alerted at 7.35pm to the incident So, how much time does at Llyn y Fan Fach in the west of the national park and they were training take up? joined by Brecon, Longtown and Western Beacons team members, It is hard to calculate an average skills are up to speed in case they’re along with handlers and their training commitment for the ‘typical’ needed locally. That’s probably dogs from the Search and Rescue mountain rescue volunteer but the another commitment of 24 hours over following gives an indication of the likely two days — with maybe a bit of fun Dogs Association. dedication required. and relaxation thrown in! The boy had fallen from a path near the lake, south-east of G Regular team training — usually at And that’s just the core Llanddeusant and the group of 24 least one full day (often a Sunday) and training . For someone who also has children were caught in heavy rain one evening per month. This will cover particular responsibility in their team for and blustery winds 1,969ft up in search techniques, rope work, something like swiftwater skills or the Black Mountain. communications training — you name communications technology, there will . ‘Brecon were first to arrive at the e

k it. That amounts to about 120 hours per be extra national sessions and r

u cas site and they assessed the B annum. exchanges and, for those who are l

u youngster for injuries,’ said Rob a First aid and casualty care — at training a search dog, you can easily P G Jones of Central Beacons. ‘The Training for the © least two evening sessions per year to double the ‘average’ training s t

e 24-strong party were in dire need

s keep up to date and up to three days commitment. That’s a lot of hours. n i of taking off the hill. They were

d to achieve an initial CasCare certificate ‘There is no way anyone would n

a duly escorted back to a gathering

t that then needs to be refreshed every volunteer for mountain rescue — and o

h point.’ unexpected... s three years. Consider that to be about persevere beyond probationer stage — n i 19 a twelve hours per annum. without a lot of enthusiasm and An RAF Sea King helicopter from M G Winter training — many upland commitment,’ says MREW Training RMB Chivenor flew the boy to teams try to get away for a weekend to Officer, Mike Margeson. ‘It’s a huge time hospital for further treatment. Scotland or similar terrain in winter commitment for the training alone — Meanwhile, the other youngsters conditions so that their snow and ice and that’s before you build in call-outs!’ were ferried back to their school ...and buses in the rescue team vehicles. There is no way anyone would volunteer for mountain rescue – and persevere beyond the expected probationer stage – without a lot of enthusiasm and commitment. G

For many, the image of mountain rescue has been O shaped by TV coverage of the major flooding incidents JOINT SWIFTWATER L across England and Wales, particularly the Cockermouth 20 floods in November 2009. Te ams invest significant RESCUE EXERCISE FOR S SOUTH LAKES TEAMS: resources – both time and money – in water training W

NOVEMBER E . and equipment and 2011 was a key year in this area. g n i N K There are seventy Swiftwater l y r

e MREW has had a National Water ‘The conference proved extremely Level 3 trained and certified team h C Committee for several years, chaired popular, with a huge demand for members in the four South Lakes © t

h by Ewan Thomas and liaising with available places,’ says Andy Lee, Edale teams (Coniston, Duddon and g i r government, the RNLI and MCA, and team member and chairman of the

d Furness, Kendal and Langdale n

a the emergency services. A key aim is to conference. ‘Lectures covered a vast t Ambleside), all needing to keep e s ensure that teams involved in water range of topics from incident n

I their water skills up to date

e incidents are trained and equipped to command and safety management to

k alongside their other mountain r

u work safely and to work well with other updates on national guidelines and the B and search skills. l

u agencies. latest personal protection and other a ‘It’s a major commitment in P In addition, Ewan Thomas and Al equipment. Over lunch, reps from Avon, © training time and equipment,’ says t

o Read have represented MREW at the Buxton, Cockermouth, Edale and h s Chief Fire Officers’ Association National Penrith shared their recent experiences n i a

M Water Rescue Group. This national multi- from actual water incidents and

t agency meeting covers all aspects of highlighted the key learning points from c i r t

s water and flood rescue. MREW each. And we had lots of different kit i D

e contributed to the Flood Rescue and equipment on display with some of k a

L Concept of Operations document the suppliers there too.’ e h t published by this group in 2010 and n

i The day revealed a lot about the nature

g revised in 2011. n

i and risks of water rescue: n

i To build on this cross-agency work, a

r Preparation is essential

t G

r the first National MREW Water Conference e t G Train for risk, including hours of a was held at Edale MRT Base in January, w t darkness f i attracting almost 100 representatives Mike Margeson. ‘Teams have w

s G Define call-out criteria and processes t from 34 teams. n responded to, and learned from, i Communication can be an issue o G J the major flooding incidents in G Make provision for decontamination Carlisle and Cockermouth but G Safety is paramount and a ‘water team approach’ is vital. they’ve also recognised the different needs of incidents in the And so much ‘Feedback was really enthusiastic to many lakes, tarns and rivers make this an annual event,’ says Andy. across our area.’ ‘There were plenty of ideas for lecture Given that teams might often topics and interactive sessions. Planning work together on incidents more than carried on throughout the year for a involving water – that has second conference early in 2012.’ certainly been the experience so far – it made sense to do some mountains training together and a cold Saturday in November saw 25 team members from the four teams on the banks of the River Leven that flows south out of EXERCISE GWYNIAD WATERMARK IN WALES: MARCH News LOG Windermere. ‘The plan was to practise a Al Read of Ogwen Valley MRO the wide range of members of deploying a team in this scenario were available to participate in personnel after a bridge had Gwyniad have been thoroughly variety of retrieval techniques and 21 was one of many search and the Welsh Joint Emergency situation, building our integration the Exercise itself, one deploying washed away. debriefed and we will participate also test our planning, command rescue volunteers who took part Services Group: fire and rescue, into a multi-agency incident and from the Ogwen base by air and ‘Flooding in Wales has been an in future planning exercises to and control processes,’ says Mike. in a major multi-agency police, RAF SAR, RNLI, strengthening communications one based in the Bala area. all-too-frequent occurrence in ensure that those connections to ‘I created a sense of urgency by emergency planning exercise in ambulance and, of course, with all the agencies involved.’ Personnel were also embedded recent years so this was a great other services and agencies are inviting along our local TV and North Wales in March. Known as mountain rescue. A small team were involved in in the control and command first step in building our as strong as possible ahead of other media to film us in action so Exercise Gwyniad (and the local ‘We had the chance to practise the planning of the event, testing groups. Involvement ranged from capabilities and connections,’ future incidents.’ we needed to work together and element of the national Exercise our role at a major incident exercises and gathering reference river bank rescues to creating a says Al. ‘There is still a lot more to provide a seamless display of Watermark tests), this involved command,’ says Al, ‘as well as film footage, and then two teams high line system to transport learn but the lessons from effective rescue under pressure.’ Incident LOG Three counties, three police forces, loads of blue lights and a load of AIRCRASH ON INGLEBOROUGH: 21 MARCH confusion... G When a Cessna light aircraft ARCC at Kinloss dispatch Sea Tom Redfern Duty Controller working between the two teams. O crashed into the side of Kings and pass on to us the ATC CRO: At 21.20, Kendal MRT A third CRO team go onto the L Ingleborough in March, search report of the last known radar requests assistance in the search southern slope of Ingleborough, HONISTER MINE OWNER and rescue efforts were hampered position of the plane as ‘south for a downed light aircraft. We’re swiftly followed by a Kendal team DIES IN HELICOPTER t 22 by foggy weather and the fact its west of Settle’ but no-one seems asked to search Crag Hill and the to search up from Crina Bottom. location was unknown. to know a time for this. Plane area southeast of Bull Pot Farm, n Bill Batson SARDA and CRO: CRASH: 9 MARCH Thirty-six Cave Rescue location beacons have not been all within our Cumbria operational e Along with my dog, Glen, a CRO

Organisation members, two triggered and it seems likely they area but, to prove just how d

navigator and two other team i search dogs, and twelve Kendal don’t have one. Kev, Kendal’s dynamic the situation was, three Mark Weir, the 45-year-old boss members, I am deployed to the MRT members were involved in radio officer and official gadget minutes later, Kendal request we of the Honister Slate Mine, died in c area of Juniper Gulf pot hole, to

the subsequent rescue. geek, tinkers with locating the concentrate from Leck Fell a helicopter crash near the mine n begin our search. We make our mobile by internet and GPS. (Lancashire) eastwards to in March. When he failed to return i Kathryn Jackson Deputy way up the main Ingleborough to With all this high tech stuff going Masongill (North Yorkshire) . to his home in Cockermouth after Team Leader Kendal MRT: ‘I’ve Horton in Ribblesdale path, All hands on, we also get out a big map Our duty vehicle, CRO 1, and a short routine flight in his got a corker for you,’ says the moving quickly and working Glen and look at likely big bits of land off-road ambulance and personnel helicopter, police were alerted at police controller. I have time to up the path and to the windward on deck... that might just get in the way of a carrier, CRO 3, depart Clapham 10. 10pm and members of the wonder what it would take to side. Shortly after commencing small plane! along the A65 to Cowan Bridge. Cockermouth and Keswick teams make it my oddest shout yet our search we enter very dense It’s often assumed that CRO have assembled and are Our standby vehicle, CRO 2, joined police and search dogs in before she tells me a light aircraft mist that reduces visibility to a few planning to drive likely valleys. At follows a little while later as it is the search. A Sea King helicopter mountain rescue teams has crashed. metres. From this point forward, control rooms in Kendal, Clapham now evident the location is far from RAF Lossiemouth also joined I begin information gathering events become increasingly exist, in the main, to and Kinloss, heads are scratched, from certain. From a quickly the operation. but, apart from knowing there are different to SARDA’s normal assist their fellow climbers ideas and strategies put forward established forward base in At 12.44am a helicopter was two very much alive occupants of training routine. and I am learning to ignore the Cowan Bridge car park, a search found crashed, 200m south east and foolhardy walkers the plane to find, I am some way We move quickly up the path to pressure of a briefing room full of dog is deployed up to Leck Fell, of the Honister Slate Mine, in from the crags, hills and off knowing where to start looking stay ahead of the CRO personnel team members waiting to be followed by a team in CRO 3. A Borrowdale. The pilot was found for them... following, trying to avoid filling the mountains. And cave tasked! We send two vehicles full second CRO search team is dead in the helicopter at the I speak to the pilot who sounds area with ‘non-casualty’ scent. of personnel to a forward position deployed to the Bull Pot Farm road scene. rescue team members, remarkably calm. He tells me he While I work Glen, my navigator in Kirkby Lonsdale. to overlook the Ease Gill area. It was a poignant call-out for surely, must operate is cold and bruised and thinks his and other team members begin The phone ping comes back as Three counties, three police many of those out searching. A passenger may have a broken shouting loudly to attract the solely underground, and between Settle and Austwick and forces, loads of blue lights, and a local man, Mark was unafraid of nose and possibly a broken ankle attention of the crashed pilots – in the dark? But, even in we find a few possible areas of lot of confusion! courting controversy with his and is also very cold. I reassure the noise and distraction made high ground but are suspicious of At this point North Yorkshire ambitious plans for Honister, the hills, things happen him we’re doing all we can to worse by continuous radio chatter. the accuracy as, unless the cloud Police advise that their search is including the development of a via locate them and ask what he can Without doubt, this is a distraction involving individuals who is very low and very thick, the being concentrated further east in ferrata and high-flying zipwire tell me about their position. and affects Glen’s willingness to aren’t necessarily areas would be in view of the the Settle, Rathmell and Austwick from Fleetwith Pike. Mark Weir They’d set off from Blackpool, range. lights of settlements and reasonably areas, following triangulation of was well known to all by reputation climbers, walkers or towards Kirkby Lonsdale, but think After about 30 minutes, we hear busy roads. the pilot’s mobile phone signal. and personally to many. cavers. And it’s mountain they may have been off track. a distant, indistinct shout and With several team members still We call the search teams off the Ok... what can they see? It’s dark request searchers to stop shouting and cave rescue teams, at base, I decide to send them hill and regroup back in Clapham. and misty and they’re on a hill!’ and maintain radio silence. I push home – we may need fed, watered At 22.36 we take over MR with their specialist So, with our cas site ‘somewhere Glen in the approximate direction and rested personnel later! incident control. training, equipment and in the north of England’, we follow of the initial noise. He takes off Cumbria police stand down and Meanwhile, Rescue 128 is up as many means as possible of into the mist, clearly on a mission, firmly ingrained local pass the baton to their North searching the Ingleborough area. narrowing down the search and returns, then takes us back to the knowledge who go to Yorkshire colleagues leaving CRO Unfortunately, darkness and very also contact CRO, Bowland crash site, some 200 metres from leading the incident for MR but the dense low cloud severely restrict the rescue. Pennine MRT and SARDA. Naively, the point where he first picked up control room team at Kendal stays the helicopter’s search ability. The I still presume there must be easy the scent. It is 00.15hrs. in place and the forward team at crew manage to make contact ways of finding a plane. The The casualties are still inside an Kirkby Lonsdale goes to Clapham with the downed pilots by mobile police are working on a mobile extremely badly damaged aircraft for a brew. This turns into a long and are told they can hear the phone triangulation although this – both conscious but injured with night out as the incident develops helicopter. Using the ‘is the sound is not going to be terribly accurate suspected fractured ankles and and they assist CRO on the hill. of the helicopter getting louder or given the masts in the area. facial injuries. There’s a strong quieter?’ technique, the Sea King smell of aviation gasoline and crew are able to give a rough many pieces of wreckage and location for the crash site before plexiglass in the immediate abandoning the search due to the vicinity. 23 marginal flying conditions. Two team doctors arrive with At 22.42 a CRO team and further medical equipment and search dog are deployed onto two stretcher parties commence Ingleborough above the 2km evacuation over rough Crummackdale followed by a terrain to Trow Gill. From there, a View from Honister © Judy Whiteside. second group and dog to Gaping y

e fleet of team Land Rovers brings

n Gill. At this point Kendal MRT e the casualties and team members m

o arrive in two vehicles, at what

D down to Clapham. All personnel

e proved to be the start of an v are off the hill by 05.00hrs. e t intensive night of successful joint S © s e g a m I G

Many businesses and manufacturers support mountain O and cave rescue teams at local level — be it financial MOUNTAIN RESCUE AT L donations, discounted clothing and equipment, or 24 even vehicle maintenance and building materials. THE AUDI POLO s

Teams, of course, are steeped in their own communi ties CHALLENGE: 1 JUNE w e so relationships have their own synergy, mutually National Fundraising Chairman, n

. beneficial to all parties.

e Mike France, and Magazine Editor, k r

u Judy Whiteside, travelled to

B At national level, however, sponsorship update and develop, this represents a l

u Chester Racecourse in June as

a deals — particularly in the current contribution from Mapyx of many P guests at the Audi Polo Challenge.

© economic climate — are harder to thousands of pounds.

e The event featured the newly- d i come by. But 20 11 has seen significant ‘This last year saw SARMAN training s

e married Duke of Cambridge and l

b developments in two key areas: rolling out across the teams. Ultimately, his team Umbongo, once again m

A information and communications there will be a central network and it’s e

l pitting their skills against the Audi a technology and national fundraising. even being picked up now by the police d UK team – and winning – in aid of g n

a The newly named Information, and RAF search managers. Mountain three charities, the English Schools L : t Communications and Technology rescue is definitely leading the way!’ e Swimming Association (ESSA), s n I subcommittee has been working for Other exciting projects, progressing Skillforce and Mountain Rescue, of

e some time with digital mapping through 2012, include work with d which William is patron. i s e

t software company Mapyx Limited to manufacturers such as Viewranger, i An impressive list of VIP guests h

W develop SARMAN, a ‘search and rescue Satmap and Garmin to allow teams to included familiar faces from the y

d management’ solution. use OS mapping. world of film, TV and music and u J The system provides a search National fundraising enables MREW dinner was ‘designed’ by celebrity © s r management and mapping tool that to provide central support to teams chef James Martin. The o o delightfully ditzy Paloma Faith M encapsulates the way search through equipment, insurance and k r provided the evening entertainment, o management is undertaken by teams. training. We received a huge boost in Y

h after an impromptu warm-up turn t

r Mark Lewis, MREW ICT Officer says, ‘We 20 11 with a proposal from Go Outdoors o from Jon Culshaw. N provide the search theory and stats, to support MREW through Pennies, the e

h A great day out and a donation t Mapyx provides the technical GIS skill ‘electronic charity box’. When customers s

s of £20,000 for Mountain Rescue, o

r and the finance to develop the system pay by card or online, t hey can donate c so thank you to Audi UK for their a

t — free of charge. an amount on top of their payment — s hospitality and generosity. This a

Fundraising o ‘With their ongoing commitment to the electronic equivalent of throwing c was the fifth polo match for o t their change in the collection box — t Mountain Rescue in as many s

a Mountain rescue and even a few pennies per transaction o years – the third with Audi UK – C : t is definitely leading can add up to a substantial annual with donations now amounting to o

and support h s the way! donation. over £100,000. n i a M G

COAST TO COAST FOR THE MOUNTAIN AND O The Mountain and Cave CAVE RESCUE BENEVOLENT FUND: MAY L

Rescue Benevolent Fund The embryonic Benevolent Fund wet evening in the company of s received its opening donation in Patterdale. Rain and low cloud

When it was first mooted that MREW set up a early May, when Magazine Editor were the order of the day over w benevolent fund, it’s doubtful anyone realised just how Judy Whiteside and Rossendale Kidsty Pike with Penrith team e

complex and time-consuming the exercise would be. and Pendle team member, Gail members, then the longest slog of n Todd, walked coast to coast to the fortnight with Kirkby Stephen But, after many meetings and much discussion over raise funds. on hand for much needed moral many years, 20 11 finally saw things begin to take shape . The pair were supported along support. Three stops in Swaledale the way by members of the ten saw the girls both caving and 25 The Mountain and Cave Rescue not an everyday occurrence but, over rescue teams through whose areas heading for the rapids in a raft, Benevolent Fund will aim to bridge the the years, there have been occasions they passed. The two week jaunt before another long haul across gap in times of hardship if a rescue when just such a fund might have been set off from St Bees in blue skies the North York Moors to the Lion team member is injured — or worse, a huge help and comfort to those and sunshine, waved off by Inn (Cleveland). Finally, members of the Wasdale team. Scarborough team members saw killed — whilst undertaking a rescue. involved. Then it was on via Ennerdale the girls safely into a soggy Robin When tragedy strikes, the kids still need The Fund will be managed as a (Cockermouth) to Rosthwaite Hood’s Bay for champagne and feeding, bills still need paying, and life separate entity, under a Deed of Trust. (Keswick). Accompanied by Sir hot chocolate and a worthy £3 31 2 goes on relentlessly — often while Final arrangements should be in place Chris Bonington, they ambled on plus Gift Aid in the pot. The Duke of Cambridge in action at families struggle to cope. Thankfully, it’s by the summer of 2012. to Grasmere (Langdale Ambleside) You can still donate to the fund Chester Racecourse © Audi UK. before the weather broke for a very at justgiving.com/twirliesontour. G O RESCUE DOG FINDS L

PAIR STUCK ON t

MOUNTAIN OVERNIGHT: n 9 SEPTEMBER e A key part of working with our Royal patron, HRH The d Duke of Cambridge, is liaison with the various charities Two men, who had survived i which form the Princes’ Charities Forum. through the night stuck on Crib c

Goch in the Snowdon range, were n 26 no doubt pleased to see Search i Many of these charities deal with The second year saw Ogwen Valley Dog Cluanie romping towards young people whose circumstances MRO hosting the event from their base them in the cold light of day. are less than ideal, whether through in North Wales. Centrepoint youngsters Llanberis team was alerted at sickness or misfortune, and mountain learned the rudiments of climbing and 7.05am and SARDA Wales rescue is ideally placed to offer abseiling, whilst the WellChild families handler Helen Howe and her dog opportunities and experiences to these spent the day at a nearby outdoor Cluanie joined the search for the youngsters which they might not centre, variously abseiling and whizzing pair, one of whom also had a split otherwise have. across a pond on a zipwire! boot sole, adding to his problems. The last three years have seen teams The third outing, in 20 11, brought the Helen and Cluanie headed across the country entertaining young addition of Child Bereavement to the across to the North Ridge from the people from Centrepoint, WellChild and party. The activities took place in the Rock Step area of Crib Goch with Child Bereavement. The first such day, Peak District, hosted by mountain and Richard Beech, also from SARDA hosted by Patterdale MRT in the Lake cave rescue teams from the region Wales.

. Cluanie headed off on the ridge,

O District, in 2009, was also host to Prince and this time there was a trip R first into Cwm Glas, and worked M William. The Prince and mountain underground to contend with too! t c

i upwards. In strong winds, rain r t rescuers took to the hills with a group For 2012, the fun and games moves s i and very thick cloud, she worked D from Centrepoint, before being whisked back to the Lake District, hosted by k

a up the ridge and came back and e across the water in the team’s rib to Keswick MRT. The event will take place P indicated her find to Helen.

© meet WellChild children and their families on Saturday 7 July and we’re sure a

s The boys had been able to give e

g enjoying a ferry trip along Ullswater. good time will be had by all!

a an approximate location but in the m I end they were higher than they thought and the dog saved a great deal of time in some pretty foul conditions. The pair were praised for going well equipped on the popular scrambling route, which is used as a route towards the summit of 3,560ft Snowdon. A team spokesperson said, ‘All credit must be given to the guys rescued as they had survived the night, had bivvi bags and a stove, and only called the team out once it was light and they thought the team would be up. ‘One of them had a totally destroyed boot which the sole had come away from and had to be Who are the other repaired. Helen and three other members of the Llanberis Team charities? then helped the guys down safely off the mountain.’ Centrepoint , another of Prince illness and complex conditions. Their William’s charities, was founded in care and support enables many 1969 by Ken Leech, vicar of St Anne’s, terminally ill children to leave hospital Soho. Concerned about the number and return home, whilst also of young people sleeping rough in the supporting their siblings and parents. West End of London, he and a group The Child Bereavement 27 of volunteers opened up the basement Charity , another of Prince Harry’s of the church as a temporary night charities, supports families, and shelter. More than forty years later, the provides training to professionals, charity continues to campaign to give across the entire spectrum of child homeless young people a future. bereavement — both when a child of Working with WellChild , one of Prince Harry’s any age dies or is dying, or when a charities, is committed to helping sick child is facing bereavement. children and their families as they deal with the consequences of serious other charities Search Dog Cluanie in action © SARDA Wales. 28

Mountain rescue is rarely about celebrity but there are some members who seem to attract more than their fair share of attention when out and about – our search and rescue dogs. There are currently over 75 search and rescue dog handlers working in England and Wales, with a further 35 in training. All of these dogs will have been trained from puppies, learning the key commands such as ‘speak’ (bark) and ‘down’ (lie down) early in their training, and becoming sound with stock such as sheep. Training usually takes up to three years before they can become operational.

Why dogs? When a person is call on a team of willing volunteers to trail to the handler and then, working on missing, whether in a rural or mountain act as dogsbodies. They turn up at every a long line, follow the trail to the missing environment, a dog team will be much training session to lie in fields, under person. Once they find the person, the more efficient at finding them than a caravans or under boulders until the dog will get food or a toy (or both!) as a search team made up solely of people. dogs find them — often remaining reward, which is key to the training of a If the missing person is ill, injured hidden in all weathers for up to six hours. trailing dog. In the UK, trailing dogs have or vulnerable, this added speed and followed trails up to 48 hours old in call- The dogs. Across England and efficiency can make the difference out situations. Wales there are two main types of between life and death. Dog teams can SARDA Wales began using trailing search dog: also operate effectively in thick cloud or dog teams in 2005. Iain Nicholson and darkness where people struggle. Air scenting dogs search areas Mij are one of the trailing dog teams. looking for human scent particles and ‘Mij has been trained to work in a variety The people. Every mountain dog this air scenting skill has been the of environments, from urban and rural, handler is an accomplished mountaineer established approach to search dog to high mountain terrain,’ says Iain. as well as being a member of a training for many years. The dogs do ‘It’s important to train in all the areas mountain rescue team. Search dogs not generally discriminate scent, that is, you’re likely to encounter and be are trained for the tasks they will fulfil in look for specific people, but they will operational in. Often, when trailing a their local area, so some are trained for look for anyone who is in the area. missing person from a car park or work in lowland areas, others to work on However, what is interesting is that house, the trail may start in an urban or high mountains, and some will be trained they will discount other team members rural area but quickly head to moorland to trail (following a specific person’s who are with their party whilst hunting. or mountain areas — as we’ve found a scent where they have walked). As long as the dog is downwind of a number of times working with teams in Handlers play key roles in their own casualty, or items that have human the Pennines and the Lake District.’ rescue teams as well as being available scent on them, they should find them. as a dog team to every other rescue The call-outs. Across England Once they find a person, they will team in their region. The level of and Wales, dog teams get called out return to their handler, indicate with a commitment is very high, as each to about 190 jobs a year on average. bark or by jumping up, then take their handler will have two lots of training Their work is usually part of a much handler back to the body and get a 29 requirements to fulfil. It also means that bigger search operation but the number game as a reward. dog teams may be called out more of finds is crucial and plays a major part frequently than a local team member Trailing dogs discriminate each in saving lives. And the dogs love the and have to learn the terrain of a much person’s unique scent. They are given challenge too! broader search area. an article of the missing person’s clothing, from which they take the scen t Main shot: Lakes Search Dog Dottie © Daryl The other people who are very Garfield. Inset: John Coombs with SARDA England Man’s and then hunt for a trail which matches involved in training search and rescue Search Dog Flash © William Coombs. dogs are the ‘dogsbodies.’ It is impossible that scent, ignoring all others that may Above: ‘Wannabe’ SARDA England search dog to train a search dog if they have no one be around. © Bill Batson; Iain Nicholson with Mij and SARDA best friend to search for and SARDA teams can They will indicate the location of the England Search Dog Floss. How can you support mountain rescue? Mountain rescue in the UK is free of charge to the casualty but we rely on the support Equipping the team – the c ost s and generosity of the public to maintain this valuable community service. Without you, we simply could not function. Of course, each team is responsible for raising Teams are generally responsible for kitting themselves out, from personal clothing and funds on their own patch – find your local team on the map, then take a look at our comms equipment to bigger items such as vehicles, and even their rescue base 30 website for the relevant contact details – mountain.rescue.org.uk/organisation/teams. buildings! Most team members wear and carry a combination of essentials supplied Money raised centrally is spent primarily on equipment, insurance and training, for by their team, supplemented by their own gear. Bear in mind that each time a team the benefit of all the teams, and their members, across England and Wales. There are member takes part in an incident, whatever its nature, they must be prepared to be also a number of ways you can support nationally. out there for many hours, often in dreadful conditions.

So, let’s start from the outside and Join Basecamp/subscribe to Organise an event in aid of

G work inwards. Obviously personal — the national support the magazine Mountain Rescue England and choice means people sport a variety of O group for mountain rescue in England Wales or join an existing one and raise Outer layer:

L boots, accessories and undergarments and Wales. With single membership at sponsorship. Either way, you’ll not only CHOCKS AWAY FOR on the hill so, for the purposes of this Waterproof jacket 225.00 £24 per year and joint provide funding for mountain rescue Windproof smock or

s MOUNTAIN RESCUE: exercise, we’ve chosen the sort of gear membership at £42 it’s the but will raise awareness. There are lots of belay jacket 50.00 that a fictional ‘average’ team member JUNE 20 11 simplest way to support all wonderful activities you can organise Waterproof trousers 100.00 w might need. the teams. In return you will and even though a fundraising event 375.00 e Last June saw Woodhead team Some of that Grand Total is paid by receive a ‘supporter’ might seem daunting, with lots of the team member (for instance, boots, Next layer:

n members devising new ways to badge, a window sticker enthusiasm, commitment and support entertain the crowds and display socks and thermals) and some may be Fleece or similar 30.00 and a year’s subscription to you will find the experience enjoyable their mountain rescue skills in the provided by team sponsors or national Spare warm clothing 30.00 our quarterly Mountain and very rewarding. form of their stretcher display fundraising — for instance, last year saw 60.00 Rescue magazine. Join Take a look at our website for a more team, aptly dubbed ‘The Pith Mountain Equipment support MREW with Base layer: through our online shop! detailed guide to organising an event Helmets’. the development of a belay jacket now Thermal leggings 25.00 — www.mountain.rescue.org.uk/ Visitors to the Honley Show saw Remember us in your Will! in use by many teams across the country. Thermal T-shirt 25.00 funding/organising-events. these stretcher-bearers-with-a- A gift to mountain rescue in your Will But most of it needs to be financed by 50.00 difference perform a variety of allows you to support our future. Legacies Read our books donations, whether from individuals and Footwear: manoeuvres to music, with one or are a vital part of our funding — even a or buy a badge. Or local organisations and businesses (like 3-season boots 130.00 two surprises thrown in. small gift can make a big difference. a teddy, or a car sticker. you) to each team, or via discounts All terrain socks 50.00 ‘My favourite,’ said team leader And it’s the surest way to fund the Or a thermal mug. and subsidies from long-term supporters Gaiters 25.00 Keith Wakeley, ‘was the historic such as Mountain Equipment, Cotswold Crampons 130.00 flight, which had me in stitches!’ equipment and training for mountain Whatever takes your Outdoor, Go Outdoors, Pàramo, Keela 335.00 Vice chairman Pete Stott explains, rescue teams in the years to come as fancy really — but now ‘It was the brainchild of the team gifts are exempt from inheritance tax, you can do it through and Land Rover. Head gear: fundraising officer – a cross capital gains tax and income tax, so our online shop, and As you can see, mountain and cave Beanie hat or similar 20.00 between the Red Arrows and the the charity receives the full value of your subscribe to Basecamp too. So check rescue is an expensive business (don’t Neck warmer 20.00 White Helmets, but without bequest. out www.mountain.rescue.org.uk/ shop. even mention training costs and Head torch 50.00 motorbikes or aeroplanes! insurance!) but your generosity keeps us Helmet 40.00 Give online through our secure ‘Mountain rescue is a serious equipped and ready for that next call-out. 130.00 online donation system. Thank you for that generous support. business but to let our hair down, Hands: yet also entertain and raise Technical outer gloves 40.00 awareness is too good an Inner glove liners 15.00 opportunity to miss.’ SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL TEAMS ON MOUNTAIN AND Hand torch 40.00 Pith Helmets member, trainee CAVE AWARENESS: MAY BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND 95.00 Lesley Gill, said, ‘It’s great fun and a wonderful workout. We move We’d been thinking for some Other accessories: quickly with the stretchers, and time there should be a ‘Flag Day’ 40 litre rucksack 50.00 the routine lasts about fifteen for Mountain and Cave Rescue OS Maps (laminated) 30.00 minutes. Very tiring!’ and, three years ago, the annual A-Z maps 15.00 ‘The many hours of practice date was set. Compass 25.00 required demonstrates the level of Since then, each year, teams Personal First Aid kit 25.00 commitment, discipline, strength, across England and Wales have Notepad and pen 3.00 2-man bothy shelter 31 stamina and teamwork required at set up marquees, stuck pins in the sharp end of mountain rescue display boards, put on their best or KISU 40.00 teams,’ adds Keith. team bib and tucker and set about Spare batteries 150.00 devising ever more ingenious 338.00 ways of engaging, informing – Communications equipment: and often entertaining – the Radio with GPS 500.00 public. Not to mention fundraising. Left: Keswick team training on Sharp Edge Pager* (per annum) 72.00 So, get in touch with your local © Keswick MRT. (*Many teams Above: Essential kit © Judy Whiteside. Members of Woodhead MRT, otherwise team – or watch your local press now use mo bile known as ‘The Pith Helmets’ take a – to find out what they’re up to phones) 572.00 welcome breather from proceedings for and go support! a spot of formation posing GRAND TOTAL £1,955.00 © Woodhead MRT. Where to find your local team

LDSAMRA NESRA Lake District North East Search & Rescue Search & Rescue Association Association

Cockermouth MRT Langdale Ambleside MRT Cleveland SRT Scarborough & District SRT Coniston MRT Patterdale MRT North of Tyne SRT Swaledale FRO COMRU (Mines Rescue) Penrith MRT Northumberland NPSRT Teesdale & Weardale SRT Duddon & Furness MRT Wasdale MRT RAF Leeming MRT SARDA (England ) Kendal MRT Lakes District Mountain Keswick MRT Rescue Search Dogs Kirkby Stephen MRT

MPSRO YDRP Mid Pennine LDSAMRA NESRA Yorkshire Dales Search & Rescue Rescue Panel Organisation YDRP Upper Wharfedale FRA Bolton MRT Organisation MPSRO RAF Leeming MRT Bowland Pennine Holme Valley MRT Cave Rescue Organisation MRT Rossendale & Calder Valley SRT Pendle MRT Cave Rescue SARDA (England) PDMRO NWMRA PDMRO NWMRA Peak District North Wales Mountain Mountain Rescue Rescue Organisation Association SWSARA

Buxton MRT Aberglaslyn MRT Derbyshire CRO Llanberis MRT Derby MRT North East Wales SRT Edale MRT North Wales CRO SWERA Glossop MRT Ogwen Valley MRO Kinder MRT Outward Bound Wales SRT Oldham MRT SARDA (Wales) PenMaCRA Woodhead MRT Snowdonia National Park SARDA (England) South Snowdonia SRT HM Coastguard MRT 83 RAF Valley MRT PenMaCRA SWSARA Peninsula SWERA South Wales Mountain South West England Search & Rescue & Cave Rescue Search & Rescue Association Association Association

Brecon MRT Cornwall SRT Dartmoor SRT Avon & Somerset SAR Central Beacons MRT Dartmoor SRT (Tavistock) Gloucester CRG Gwent CRT (Ashburton) Devon CRO Mendip Cave Rescue Longtown MRT Dartmoor SRT Exmoor SRT Severn Area RA West Brecon CRT (Okehampton) SARDA (England) Western Beacons MSRT Dartmoor SRT SARDA (South Wales) (Plymouth)

In case of accident or incident requiring Mountain Rescue assistance Dial ‘999’ — ask for the ‘Police’ — then ‘Mountain Rescue’

To find out more about mountain and cave rescue in England and Wales go to Bar code here mountain.rescue.org.uk or caverescue.org.uk

Mountain Rescue England and Wales is a registered charity number 222596. British Cave Rescue Council is a registered charity number 11 37252.