ISSN 1756-8749 JANUARY 2010 £3.50 31 As we move into 2010, we can look back characterised by useful exchanges of views on a year that can be described, at the very and openness over passage of information least, as ‘eventful’ for mountain rescue in between teams. WELCOME TO England and Wales. Across the organisation ‘Discussion is an exchange of knowledge; 31 people and teams have responded without argument is an exchange of ignorance’ Mountain Rescue is the fail to a variety of challenges. Robert Quillan. membership magazine for mobile installations ltd mountain and cave rescue in The year began with a return of winter Events of recent weeks have tested APB England and Wales. conditions particularly in the mountains of mountain rescue in its ability to respond to North Wales and the Lake District. True to natural disaster away from the mountains SPECIALISTBLUELIGHTEQUIPMENTINSTALLERS Contributions should be sent to predictions this produced a rash of accidents and, yet again, teams have stepped up to the editor at the address below. Every care will be taken of many of which were serious, both in terms of this challenge and proved their adaptability materials sent for publication injuries to the casualties and the situations to use their skills and resourcefulness however these are submitted at faced by teams. The accounts of rescues, outside their normal field of operations. Many the sender’s risk. notably those on Skiddaw and Snowdon, teams have been involved and have attest to the skills, commitment and tenacity performed exceedingly well, but the actions of team members. It was also evident on of Cockermouth MRT were outstanding. EDITORIAL some of these rescues how important the In addition to all of this we have been Judy Whiteside 8 Bridgefoot Close, Boothstown technological advances have been. No time engaging with the outside world in other Manchester M28 1UG seems to have passed since Paul Horder areas. Thanks to the efforts of Mike France 0161 702 6080 demonstrated early GPS mapping to an acting on our contacts at the Princes’ Charity [email protected] audience of team leaders in Preston. Rob Forum we have established links with Andy Simpson Brookes and David Binks picked up the Centrepoint and WellChild. A day out on 0161 764 0999 baton and ran with it until we have the Hellvellyn and on Ullswater allowed [email protected] valuable tool in use today. mountain rescue to reach out and offer to BUXTONMRTLANDROVER:BEFOREANDAFTER mountain.rescue.org.uk The expanding possibilities of technology other people things beyond their were again demonstrated at the excellent expectations. The day was enlivened by the Pat Starkie meeting in November, again in Preston. The presence of Prince William, and thanks are Member of FIRESA and federation of communications services. 01204 888 151 UU forecast of Warren Berris comes to mind. due to Richard Warren and Martin Cotterill for [email protected] APB specialises in the installation of blue lights equipment into everything ‘The factory of the future will have only two the efforts they put in to make it happen. A UU employees, a man and a dog. The man will similar event is planned for North Wales in from cars to fire engines and other specialist vehicles such as HPs, mountain be there to feed the dog. The dog will be summer 2010. NEXT ISSUE rescue vehicles and control units. We offer an on-site service to limit down 32 there to stop the man touching the We are, therefore, entering 2010 on a high equipment’. note. The only shadow is the economic time of the vehicle, or we can offer our equipped workshops near Copy Deadline: 2009 has seen a very significant rise in the backdrop. Homo sapiens has been replaced 5 March 2010 Peterborough. number of incidents. For some teams this with Homo economicus in many walks of life. Editorial copy must be supplied has been a dramatic rise. Despite this The challenge of the coming years will UU Equipment installed: Blue lights, headlamp flash, as Word document. increase teams have continued to respond probably be to continue to retain the funding Images must be supplied as without fail, albeit with gritted teeth in the face that enables provision of the valuable service 2-tone sirens, rear reds, covert blues, diesel heaters, run lock systems, high resolution (300 dpi) tracker units, strobes, hands free systems for mobile telephones and 2-way JPEG/EPS/TIFF/PDF of the repetition of basic errors of provision we provide. There will be a responsibility to and foresight. ensure that money is spent wisely and more radios, additional speakers (eg. in the pump bay) GPS and satellite Advertising artwork must be There have been a number of excellent effectively than at any previous time. supplied, ready prepared on meetings throughout the year, largely under A quote from W H Auden seems an navigation systems, plus many more. We have a ‘no drill’ policy in place CD or via email as font and are able to install switch panels for specific client requirements. embedded PDF/EPS/TIFF (300 the direction of the training subcommittee appropriate ending. ‘We are here on earth to dpi) or Quark document with all and it is refreshing to see new topics, such help others. What the others are here for I Our engineers are FLM trained and fully competent on working with and relevant fonts and images. as the ‘talking to the media’ appearing on the don’t know.’ UU calendar. All of the meetings have been David Allan Chairman Comment installing the airwave radios now fitted to the fire service. PAGE Langdale Ambleside vehicle during the floods Photo: Paul Burke Features 10 Ten days in Cockermouth Mike Park gives a personal account of the Cumbrian floods EDITOR’S NOTE 23 Mountain rescue’s first sailing team? Articles carried in Carina Humberstone on the Edale/Glossop sailing team Mountain Rescue do not 30 Wish you were there? necessarily reflect the opinions Rick Mayfield takes you to the secret Costa Blanca of Mountain Rescue England James Thacker travels on expedition to Phari Lapcha and Wales. We do not accept 34 The Derby MRT RTC responsibility for information Judy Whiteside reports on the Derby presentation at supplied in adverts/advertorial. the Team Leaders’ Day, December 2009 38 A brief dip into eponymous medical terms: 6 David Allan takes us from Monteggia Fracture to Raynaud’s Phenomenon 43 Mountain rescue... so, why do YOU do it? For further information contact APB Mobile Installations Ltd John Dutton muses on his motivation Tel: 0845 331 2727 Fax: 0845 331 2722 Web: www.apb-ltd.co.uk Email: [email protected] 46 Training – who delivers and why? Unit 18, King Street Industrial Estate, Langtoft, Peterborough PE6 9NF Bob Sharp concludes his series on team training 50 Flash and the Magic Bivvy Bag mountain John Coombs continues Flash’s search dog training Regulars 4 National news 4 Dates for 2010 6 Regional news Contents 25 Sponsorship news 27 What’s on offer 33 Incident statistics 37 Basecamp and support news PA G E 2 MOUNTAINRESCUEMAGAZINE JANUARY 2010 JANUARY 2010 MOUNTAINRESCUEMAGAZINE PA G E 3 Nikwax BaseWash and Wool Wash ‘Every time I’m outdoors I’m reminded how incredibly effective Nikwax is’. Martin Chester, Chief Instructor and British Mountain Guide. including a white space for only means of comms as Knott of Derby MRT gave effect. The use of other When you’re out in all weathers training and keeping everyone safe teams to write in details of radios failed. The value of an account of a road traffic teams, particularly from out on the mountain, you need to know your clothing will keep you their own events. These mountain rescue being accident involving one of side the region, to ease the comfortable. Efficient technical baselayers are have already been been involved at Gold Command, their Land Rovers on a blue problem of the high work key to comfort and temperature control and distributed to teams but the both before and during the light response three years load was discussed and using Nikwax ensures you get optimum artwork is also available as incident, was noted. ago – a case which took there was a degree of performance from them. It is essential that baselayers have good a pdf from the Members’ Similarly the importance of some two years of legal enthusiasm for extending wicking properties – the ability to absorb area of the website, under mountain rescue taking a wrangling before reaching this practice. Further talks sweat, distribute it around the garment and Fundraising. leading role in the review a conclusion. The between Mountain Rescue dry quickly. Nikwax BaseWash and Wool and future planning was importance of maintenance and the BMC on the topic Wash deliver this for both manmade and TEAM LEADERS DAY recognised. Mountain records for the vehicle, and of prevention and natural fibres. SWALEDALE rescue team members training records for the education were supported. BaseWash has been created specifically for cleaning synthetic baselayers Refreshes The meeting, hosted by were the only people driver were emphasised. It was recognised that G and removes odours G Speeds up wicking William Lumb and comfortable on the roof The effect of the protracted more work on the figures is G Allows the garment to dry faster keeping Swaledale MRT at their tops during evacuation of nature of the episode on necessary in order to focus you comfortable Wool Wash cleans and NATIONAL base, deep in the heart of people by helicopter. The the driver and his family efforts of preventative work maintains the natural qualities of wool G Improves wicking ability MOUNTAIN AND Yorkshire, was one of the amount of debris in the was highlighted.