Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team Prepare For Their Busiest Time of The Year
As the nights get lighter and the weather warmer, Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team are preparing for their busiest time of the year.
Every year, Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team deal with around 100 call outs; usually from people who have found themselves in trouble on the fells. The majority of these cases will be people who are lost or injured and thankfully with help from the team, most will find their way back to safety. However, if it wasn’t for the hard work and commitment of the Mountain Rescue volunteers, in Wasdale and across the UK, the reality could be far more tragic.
In a national context, 48 individual teams make up Mountain Rescue England and Wales, each with their own geographical area. Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team cover principally the Wasdale and Eskdale valleys but their area extends over Cold Fell towards the coast in the north and onto Ulpha Fell in the South. England’s highest mountain, Scafell Pike, is also on their patch.
The team has been assisting people on the fells for almost 50 years and currently has 38 members, up to 20 of which will be involved in any callout. They are one of the teams in the UK able to carry out swift water rescues and have provided vital search and rescue assistance during the floods. Two of the team members are A&E consultants, the others come from a variety of different backgrounds, but all with some vital things in common; they have local knowledge of the fell, can give up their time and are passionate about helping people.
John Fletcher has been a member of Wasdale MRT for just over a year, he said: “It really is about saving lives in Wasdale, Eskdale and the rest of the area that we cover, out to the coast of West Cumbria; searching and rescuing people, administering first aid and getting people off the hill.”
He continued: “We are passionate about helping people on the fell. What can start out as somebody who is lost, can turn into someone spending a night on the fell when they’re not prepared – all of a sudden someone who might have been considered a simple loss, the next day might be at the tragic end of the scale.”
A considerable number of callouts to the Wasdale team are to the aid of climbers lost on Scafell. As England’s highest peak, Scafell Pike makes up one third of the Three Peak Challenge and its footpaths attract thousands of visitors each year; as charity walks become increasingly popular with all demographics, the team has seen a rise in the number of callouts to walkers attempting to tackle the mountain.
John explained: “What has changed is the number of visitors coming to Scafell Pike, lots of people want to say that they have been to the highest mountain in England.
“We are actually neutral, we don’t have a view on the Three Peaks as a team, but what we do try and do, is offer words of advice where appropriate. We are predominantly a rescue team to go out there and help people, of course.”
John spoke shortly after recent press coverage, which followed three call outs for lost groups, one of which was a charity walk involving over 30 people, with little supervision or preparation. Another group ended up spending the night on the Fell with an extensive search involving several Rescue Teams that went into the following day. The news inevitably reached social media platforms and the climbers were subjected to a backlash from users, who criticised the climbers for being “unprepared” and “wasting the Mountain Rescue’s time and resources.”
John said: “I guess it is inevitable when you open up social media to everyone to comment on. I think the most important thing though, is the view of the team.”
He added: “What no team member would want is somebody being reluctant to call us and then becoming injured or even further lost. If people make the call then we can deal with it on the phone and then, if necessary, make the decision to go out. It’s not a last resort to call out the team, but it is a measured response.”
The view of the team which John refers to is that; while they would always encourage people to enjoy the mountains, they urge anyone embarking on such a challenge to be fully prepared and to follow the guidance on their website, in order to prevent avoidable callouts.
It is worth remembering that the Mountain Rescue is a charity, surviving solely on generous donations, starting from the smallest change in the collection box. The team costs around £30,000 a year to run and all team members are unpaid, professional volunteers. Without the support of the public, they would not be able to provide this incredible service that allows climbers of all abilities to make the most of the mountains and ultimately, saves lives.
For more information on Wasdale MRT or to make a donation visit www.wmrt.org.uk
Mountain Safety Checklist
The Wasdale MRT website offers some key messages on mountain safety, that would be useful for anyone heading off into the hills, however experienced or inexperienced they may be.
- Plan Ahead, Be Flexible with your weekend and get a weather forecast
- Navigation is Key – Take a map and compass and know how to use them.
- Do not rely on your phone as the sole safety equipment. But do keep it charged up.
- Try to help yourself first if lost – what are your options whilst remaining safe?
- Go prepared for a night on the hill – daylight will not be far away in summer.
- In emergency – dial 999 or 112 – ask for Police, then Mountain Rescue.
