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Who Will Rescue the Rescuers ? the Update AUTUMN 2008 the THE UK’S ADVENTURE CAPITAL Update Cumbria Tourism has big plans to promote the Lake District AUTUMN 2008 · ISSUE 64 Win a new Osprey backpack! See page 3 for details Don’t believe everything that you read. After all, where else could you find such a Despite reports to the contrary, we’re a variety of world-class outdoor activities in so nation of adventurers. accessible and compact a region? Walk, bike, Who will rescue the rescuers ? climb, sail or paddle, the possibilities are Sure, not all of us are leaping out of aircraft or endless whether you're a seasoned adventurer Mountain Rescue teams in the Lake District are winning by a big margin. skiing to the North Pole, but the spirit of or want to learn the ropes from a qualified If call-outs were a competition they would be in gold medal position, adventure lives within us. We find ourselves guide. boasting 298 hill walking incidents last year – 73% of all incidents in drawn to landscapes that offer the opportunity England and Wales. for excitement and exploration, and none offer The Adventure Capital campaign rolls out later Across the country, mountain rescue activity is increasing. As the British more inspiration than the Lake District. this year and through into 2009. You can expect Mountaineering Council puts it; “If teams operated on a charge-per-rescue basis they’d all be making a profit. But they don’t, and they aren’t; UK mountain rescue to see advertising and features in the national is free, and the teams are made up of voluntary members.” Richard Warren from Cumbria Tourism is the organisation responsible press, plus Cumbria Tourism will be promoting the Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association underlines this, saying for promoting tourism in Cumbria, and they the Adventure Capital as a long-term theme in “Unlike the police, fire and ambulance services, we do not receive any public know that England's largest National Park – all its activities. money to fund mountain rescue – we are totally dependent on voluntary including Scafell Pike, its highest mountain, and donations.” Wastwater, its deepest lake – is the perfect As they say, “Come to Cumbria and discover a Last summer the Wasdale team – all with jobs and lives of their own – had 31 backdrop to create your own adventure. That’s land of opportunity, adrenaline and inspiration!” call-outs in 42 days, with many due to the Three Peaks Challenge. Every year why Cumbria is being promoted as the UK’s Lots more inspiration and information on millions of pounds are raised for charity by people who take part in the Challenge, Adventure Capital, the country's biggest activities and places to stay at which involves climbing the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales. Lake District teams need to raise £500,000 a year Photo: KMRT adventure playground. www.golakes.co.uk The irony is that very little of that money finds its way towards the mountain rescue teams. Last year it cost £500,000 to fund the 12 Lake District teams and teams to issue invoices – could this be a possible glimpse of the future? as Richard Warren diplomatically puts it, “We would encourage charity walkers to Certainly the increase in non-life threatening rescues compromises the also think about the volunteer rescue service while they are raising valuable funds ability of teams to respond to more serious incidents. With the for (other) charities.” government unwilling to assist – and with rescue helicopter funding So, Three Peaks Challenge aside, what is driving the increase in call-outs? For coming under increasing pressure – then as the BMC comments; “If last sure, the mobile phone is a mixed blessing – in a genuine crisis they can mean year proves to be the thin edge of the wedge, then the face of mountain the difference between life and death, but approximately a third of emergency rescue as we know it might change, and not necessarily for the better.” calls come from walkers essentially requesting a ‘free guiding service’. Teams are Want to help? BaseCamp is the national supporters group for spending an increasing amount of time on trivial incidents involving people who Mountain Rescue in England and Wales. It’s one way we can help them are ill-equipped, ill-prepared, inexperienced and over-ambitious. – one day they may help you! Join from just £2 per month, At a recent mountain rescue conference, one light-hearted suggestion was for see www.mountain.rescue.org.uk In this issue . Osprey’s latest ESSENTIAL KIT FOR YOUR RUCSAC rucsacs (p 3) What’s in store In a mountain rescue scenario it may not just be your own, but someone else’s life you this autumn? could save by carrying the right emergency kit. And it doesn’t have to break the bank, (p 4/5) or take up much space in your pack. Petzl eLite Absolutely essential kit that should always be carried starts with a compass, a whistle, a first aid kit Head Torch Get a FREE LED and an emergency head torch. Basic compasses such as the Silva Field 7 (£12) are accurate and cost-effective, while Life Systems light with Ronhill provides a proper emergency whistle (£3). With first aid kits, we would recommend the Life Systems Trek (£12) as ideal for walkers, garments (p 4) it is an excellent, compact kit for dealing with small accidents. The perfect emergency head-torch is the Petzl eLite, just 27g in weight Latest gadgets yet providing up to 45 hours of light on fresh batteries. (p 6) For emergency shelter consider carrying a Life Systems Blizzard Bag (£30), a lightweight and compact bag that retains and reflects body heat. The bag uses ‘reflex cell multi-wall technology’ to trap air which Free George then expands the bag, providing excellent insulation. Fisher activities Also ideal for emergency use, or just while you’re eating lunch, bothy bags are light and compact yet (p 8) create a windproof, highly water resistant and surprisingly warm sheltered environment. We stock 2, Des Oliver (p 10) 4 and 8 person bothy bags from Terra Nova – the classic 2 (£30) weighs 400g, or there is also a Superlite 2 (£60) which weighs just 253g. Bill Birkett (p 13) Finally, in addition to your standard clothing it’s a good idea to have a compact, warm garment in Mark Seaton reserve. The Redpoint Jacket from The North Face (£100) packs down small yet gives great insulation The North Face Women’s (p 14/15) Redpoint Jacket using Primaloft synthetic fill, which retains warmth even when wet. Published by George Fisher Limited, 2 Borrowdale Road, Keswick, Cumbria CA12 5DA Tel 017687 72178 Fax 017687 71333 E-mail [email protected] phone and website orders received before noon are delivered free overnight The publishers of Update would like to thank all contributors to this edition, noting that the opinions expressed in submitted articles are those of their authors, and not necessarily of George Fisher Ltd. t 017687 71801 · weekdays only Editor: Clive Allen Advertising: [email protected] Printed by G. W. McKane & Son, Keswick Tel 017687 80574 Printed on paper from a sustainable source the the Update AUTUMN 2008 Update AUTUMN 2008 OSPREY SPREADS ITS WINGS ÈK?<G<I=<:KCP98C8E:<;:FD9@E8K@FE F=KNF J8CFDFEILEE@E>%:FD FGGFJ@E> :FE:<GKJ$:LJ?@FE@E>8E;8>@C@KP$ @JK?<DFJK;@==@:LCKGIF9C<DKFJFCM<@EKI8@C ILEE@E>J?F<;<J@>E%K?@J@JFLI DFJK98C8E:<; 8:?@<M<D<EKK?LJ=8I%É $ :?I@JKFG?<8L9FEE<K Worldwide, Osprey is one of the most talked-about outdoor ski loops, crampon pouches and GIF;L:KD8E8><I$J8CFDFE KI8@CILEE@E>=FFKN<8I% companies, specialising in high-quality rucsacs made with close haul points. Built using highly attention to detail and carrying a great reputation for comfort. The durable but lightweight Matrix exciting news this year is that whether you’re a hillwalker or fabric, the Variant can be further mountaineer, Osprey is launching new backpacks that really hit the lightened by removing the internal mark. frame sheet, hip-belt and lid – shaving ounces for that summit bid. First, let’s look at the hill-walking option. Osprey’s new 38-litre Kestrel (£75) is an attractive backpack fully specified for the demands of the UK walker – The 38-litre Mutant (£70) is a plenty of pockets, designed to carry trekking poles and ice axes, and the lightweight and functional pack pack is hydration compatible too. Backs can breathe easy thanks to the that proves less is more. There’s a AirScape back panel with removable and stowable hip-belt tri-section ridged foam and a with gear racking, the back central ‘air chimney’. The contains a bivi pad, and there’s a Osprey Mutant 38 padded, adjustable harness removable floating lid with spindrift allows for a perfect fit. collar. There are three fixed back lengths available; with a ‘stripped weight’ of just 0.95kg for the medium size, the Mutant is a durable and lightweight For steeper ground, Osprey is option that carries with comfort. unveiling two lightweight climbing and mountaineering packs, the We’ve stocked Osprey’s Resource daypacks for a year now, and they have Variant and Mutant. Designed proved extremely popular. Made from 70% recycled materials, each daypack with the help of professional uses approximately 18 recycled one-litre plastic bottles, making the climbers, these new packs can Resource range a particularly rubbish-hungry option – they even use recycled be stripped down for featherlight card for the product hangtags and are delivered into stores in recycled poly OKN@E>J performance.
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