ROYAL AIR FORCE MOUNTAIN RESCUE TEAM DIARY OPENED 28 AUG 81 Ended Nov 82 On Spine: TEAM DIARY OFFICE COPY 1 NOTES 1 This Diary was transcribed by Dr. A. S. G. Jones between November and.December, 2013 2 He has attempted to follow, as closely as possible, the lay-out of the actual entries in the Diary. 3 The first entry in this diary is dated 29th August,1981. The last entry is dated 13th Novmber, 1982 4 There are a numbers of Report As which have been scanned and put together in an appendix. 5 There is considerable variation in spellings. He has attempted to follow the actual spelling in the Diary even where the Spell Checker has highlighted a word as incorrect. 6 The spelling of place names is a very variable feast as is the use of initial capital letters. He has attempted to follow the actual spellings in the Diary 7 Where there is uncertainty as to a word, its has been shown in italics 8 Where words or parts of words have been crossed out (corrected) they are shown with a strike through. 9 The diary is in a four ring binder. 10 It was apparent that the entries were written by number of different people 11 Sincere thanks to Alister Haveron for a detailed proof reading of the text. Any mistakes are the fault of Dr. A. S. G. Jones. 2 VALLEY MRT EXERCISE AUGUST GRANT 81 KINLOCHEWE 29 AUG 81 Attending Haveron, Whalley, Wathan, Kennedy, Winn, Birtwistle, Reece, Summerfield, Tomkins, Nash, Hugo, Craig, Gubbins, Abbott, Skett, Davies. Victor 1 Whalley Birtwistle Tomkins Nash Beinn Eighe - Liathach - Beinn Alligin 121/2 hrs 251/2 K 3140m Victor 2 Haveron Summerfield Gubbins Beinn Eighe 61/2 hrs 16k 110m Victor 3 Wathan Hugo Reece Beinn Eighe 8hrs 101/2k 1310m Victor 4 Abbott Skett Beinn Eighe Victor 5 Kennedy Winn Beinn Liath Mhor - Sgurr Ruadh 61/2 hrs 16k 1330m Duty cook Craig Weather Excellent! Midgies Rife! Sunday 30th Aug 81 Kinlochewe Victor 1 Haveron Wathan Winn Summerfield Beinn Eighe - Liathach - Beinn Alligin Between 81/2 - 101/2 hrs 261/2k 3140m Victor 2 Whalley Tomkins Craig Nash Climbing Applecross 3 Cioch Nose - 600ft V.Diff Victor 3 Birtwistle Gubbins Hugo Reece Slioch 6hrs 17k 955m Victor 4 Abbott Skett R. Davies Laithach 9hrs 9k 1468m Victor 5 Kennedy Maol - Chean - Dearg 4hrs 16k 850m Duty cook Davies Weather Blistering Midges Still here Monday 31st Aug 81 Kinlochewe Victor 1 Kennedy Davies Beinn Eighe - Liathach - Beinn Alligin 131/2 hrs 261/2k 3140m Victor 2 Haveron Craig Summerfield Techniques Inveralligin Victor 3 Whalley Nash An-Ruadh Stac - Maol-Chean-Dearg 71/2 hrs 13k 1281m Victor 4 Wathan Winn An-Ruadh-Stac Meall-nan-Ceapairean 4 71/2 hrs 10k 957m Victor 5 Abbott Skett R. Davies Beinn Alligin 5 hrs 7k 1140m Duty cook Hugo Weather Energy sapping Midges Biting harder Tuesday 1st Sep 81 Kinlochewe Victor 1 Wathan Summerfield Kennedy Maol-Chean-Dearg 41/2 hrs 14k 950m Victor 2 Davies Winn R. Davies Maol-Chean-Dearg 41/2 hrs 14k 950m Victor 3 Abbott Skett Haveron Coire-Dubh-Mhor - Loch Grobog Alligin C/P Victor 4 Hugo Craig Nash Beinn Alligin 4 hrs 7k 1140m Duty cook Whalley Weather Good Midges Porky! Now Wednesday 2nd Sep 81 Onich Victor 1 Haveron Wathan Winn Abbott Summerfield Nash 5 Steal - Aonach Beag - Aonach Mhor - Carn-Mhor-Dearg - Ben Nevis 7 hrs 19k 1880m Victor 2 Hugo Craig Ben Nevis - Carn-Mhor-Dearg - Aonach Mhor - Aonach Beag - Steall 81/2 hrs 19k 1980m Victor 3 Davies R. Davies Steall - Aonach Beag - Aonach Mhor - Carn-Mhor- Dearg - Ben Nevis - Steall 7 hrs 16k 1880m Victor 4 Whalley Bidian-nan-Bian / after picking ups rations 21/2 hrs 6k 1034m Victor 5 Skett Ben Nevis Duty cook Kennedy Weather Good Midges Still around Thursday 3rd Sep 81 Onich Victor 1 Haveron Nash Craig Skett Climbing Polldubh - 2 Severe routes Rescue techniques for Badge test Victor 2 Whalley Cameron Climbing Glencoe Clachaig Gully 1735ft V.Diff 6 hours Victor 3 Kennedy Winn Davies 6 Climbing Ben Nevis Tower Ridge 2000ft Diff 4 hours Victor 4 Wathan Davies.R. Hugo Abbott Bidean-nam-Bian via Lost Valley 4 hrs 5k 450m Duty cook Summerfield Weather Fair Midges Gone Friday 4th Sep 81 Onich Victor 1 Haveron Summerfield Binnein Mhor - Na Gruaghaichean - Stob coire a Cairn - An Gearanach - Stob Coire a Cairn Am Bodach - Lairigmor 7 hrs 191/2k 1250m Victor 2 Whalley Kennedy Nash Lairgmor - Mullach-nan-Corean - Lairigmor 4 hrs 6k 650m Victor 3 Wathan Winn Davies Hugo Craig R.Davies S.H 950 on Binnien Mhor - Mamore Lodge Duty cook Abbott Weather Honking Midges Deceased Saturday 5th Sep 81 Saturday was spent assisting the Kinloss troops on the Annual Ben Nevis race. One incident occured before the race started, and the casualty had to be carried to Half Way Lochan then, airlifted to Belford Hospital, Fort William. The chopper was used again to airlift 2 drooged runners and the troops enjoyed a good social gathering marking the end of grant, that night in the Onich Hotel!! 7 P.S. So Long Sunch!!! RAF VALLEY MRT W/END EXERCISE 11 to 13 SEP 81 DOLAN COMMUNITY CENTRE Attending Haveron Whalley Randall Pibworth Wathan Birtwistle Abbott Caygill Holt Picken Kay Tomkins Craig Nash Reece Oliver Victor 1 Whalley Craig Nash Climbing Moelwyns Kirkus Direct 300ft Severe Slack 305ft Severe Victor 2 Kay Tomkins Climbing Tremadog Meshach 200ft HVS Victor 3 Randall Oliver Picken Low level navex Cm Pennant Area 6 hrs 13k Victor 4 Abbott Holt Caygill Brithdir - Moel Hebog - Moel Lefn - Y-Garn Mynydd-Drws-y-Coed - Trum-y-Ddysgl - Mynydd- Tal-y-Mignedd Craig-Cwm-Silyn - Garrnedd Goch - Cwm Pennant 9hrs 22k 1522m Victor 5 Wathan Birtwistle Cwm Pennant - Moel Hebog - Beddgelert - Cwm-ystradllyn - Base 5hrs 16k 800m Duty Cook Reece Control Pibworth Sunday 13th Sep 81 Victor 1 Haveron Craig Oliver Picken Whalley Abbott Holt Caygill Wathan Birtwistle Randall Reece Techniques / climbing Upper Teir Tremadoc Haveron KMA 60ft V.Diff 8 Falling Block Crack 80ft V.Diff Haveron - Caygill Bulging Wall 80ft Severe Whalley - Abbott KMA 60ft V.Diff Falling Block Crack 80ft V.Diff Marath 60ft V.Diff Bulging Wall 80ft V.Diff Birtwistle - Craig Marath 60ft V.Diff Falling Block Crack 80ft V.Diff Bulging Wall 80ft Severe Reece - Randall Central Arete 70ft Diff KMA 60ft V.Diff Marath 60ft V.Diff Victor 2 Kay Nash Climbing Tremadoc Creagh Dhu Wall 170ft Hard Severe Kestral Cracks 200ft V.S. Xmas Curry 250ft Severe Oberon 170ft V.Diff Duty cook Tomkins Control Pibworth RAF VALLEY MRT W/END EXERCISE 18 to 20 SEP 81 MAENAN ABBEY Attending Whalley Kennedy Winn Caygill Abbott Royle Wathan Langley skett Nicholson Picken Tomkins Birtwistle Maughan Hollister Pibworth Victor 1 Whalley Tomkins Birtwistle Maughan Originaly intended to visit Great Gully, but the SWB ran out of road, and time was spent retracting this vehicle, so a visit to Milestone Buttress went on the cards Whalley Birtwistle Canopy Route 160ft V.Diff First pitch off, poor weather, abb off Tomkins Maughan Soap Gut 200ft H. Severe Victor 2 Kennedy Nicholson Winn Caygill 9 Bwlch-y-Dyfaen - Drum - Foel Fras - Foel Grach - Carnedd Llewelyn - Carnedd Dafydd - Yr Elen - Pen-yr-Olewen - Ogwen Victor 3 Abbott Royle Picken Cwm Eigiau - Pen-y-Lithrig-y-Wrach - Pen-y-Helgi Ddu - Carnedd Llewelyn - Carnedd Dafydd - Pen-yr-Ole-Wen - Ogwen 5 hrs 13k 1160m Victor 4 Wathan Langley Ogwen - Pen-yr-Ole-Wen - Carnedd Dafydd - Capel Curig Victor 5 Skett Bethesda - Pen-yr-Ole-Wen - Carnedd Dafydd - Carnedd Llewelyn - Ffinion Llugwy - Helyg 51/2hrs 15k 1050m Duty cook Hollister Control Pibworth Sunday 20 Sep 81 Victor 1 Whalley Caygill Climbing Little Tryfan Victor 2 Winn Langley Climbing Little Tryfan Victor 3 Kennedy Picken Climbing Little Tryfan Victor 4 Abbott Maughan Royle Nicholson Climbing Milestone Buttress Canopy Route 160ft V.Diff Victor 5 Hollister Tomkins Climbing Tin Can Alley Victor 6 Wathan Birtwistle Moving bunk beds from Bethesda to Dolgarrog Duty cook Skett 10 Control Pibworth RAF VALLEY MRT W/END EXERCISE 25 to 27 SEP 81 Llanberis ACT Hut Attending Whalley Kennedy Winn Birtwistle Tomkins Kay Hollister Pibworth Hugo Royle Nash Reece Caygill Hartley Victor 1 Whalley Kay Tomkins Hollister Climbing Tremadoc Poor Man's Peutrey 255ft Severe Route not completed due to very poor weather Victor 2 Winn Kennedy Drum - Foel Fras - Foel Goch - Yr Elen - Carnedd Llewelyn - Carnedd Dafydd - Pen-yr-Ole-Wen - Ogwen - Capel Curig - Pen-y-Gwryd Originally intended to do 14 Peaks but bad weather postponed that decision 9 hrs 31k 970m Victor 3 Birtwistle Reece Hartley Llanberis - Moel Elio - Foel Gron - Foel Goch - Moel Cynghorion - Snowdon - PYG track - Pen-y- Pass 61/2 hrs 141/2k 1423m Victor 4 Hugo Royle Nash Pen-y-Pass - Crib Goch - Crib-y-Ddysgl - Snowdon - Lliwedd - Pen-y-Pass 51/2 hrs 11k 990m Duty cook Caygill Control Pibworth The weather on Sunday was so bad that base camp was struck early and the Team returned to Valley RAF VALLEY MRT W/END EXERCISE 2nd to 4th Oct 81 Crossfoxes Attending Whalley Kennedy Winn Wathan Birtwistle Hugo Reece Picken Hartley Langley Skett Davies Tomkins Pibworth 11 Victor 1 Kennedy Picken Gwernan Lake Ho - Foxes Path - Cader Idris - Pony track - Gwernan 41/2 hrs 9k 750m Victor 2 Wathan Hartley As for Victor 1 Victor 3 Reece Langley Hugo Creggan - Hafodty Fach - Craig-y-Llyn - Craig-Las - Cader Idris - Mynydd Moel - Gas Graig - Hafodty-y-Merch - base 6 hrs 191/2k 816m Victor 4 Skett Mynydd Moel - Cader Idris - Nat Park car park 41/2 hrs 12k 750m Victor 5 Whalley Davies Winn Tomkins Nash Oswestry lecture & rescue demonstration Horizontal stretcher lowers Vertical stretcher lowers Abseiling Duty cook Birtwistle Control Pibworth A certain self rescue technique was displayed with great dexterity today.