Sca Fell (file image). Photo: Bob Smith Photography

Three volunteer mountain rescue teams were involved in a Lakeland rescue that lasted more than 12 hours.

Rescuers were alerted on Tuesday night when a member of the public heard cries for help on Sca Fell.

Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team said: “Cumbria Police received a call from a member of the public who could hear shouting on the fells.

“No exact location, just a voice somewhere in the dark,” the team spokesperson said. “Our team leader spoke with the informant, who gave a good description putting the sound south of his position, in the Lord’s Rake area.”

The team spokesperson said a reply was received on the mountainside indicating a person had fallen, suffering head, back, leg and arm injuries.

The Wasdale team was called out about 8.50pm. The spokesperson said: “Given the terrain and the rope rescue that would be needed, Duddon and Furness MRT were also called out, along with Coastguard helicopter R897 [based at Carlisle].

“R897 initially hoped to carry out the rescue themselves, but low cloud made that impossible. They did manage to get eyes on the casualty and pass the location to teams on the ground.”

The helicopter crew lifted 11 mountain rescuers onto the fell, as close to the site as the weather allowed, along with 400m of rope, a crag set, vacuum mattress, casualty bag, stretcher and accessories, first aid kit and personal kit.

The team then worked to pinpoint the casualty’s exact position so a rope rescue system could be built, a job that took considerable time, hampered further as extreme weather moved in.

Rescuers worked in heavy, wind-blown rain. The spokesperson said, at 2.40am, with both Wasdale and Duddon members tiring and the casualty still to be brought down, the team leader called in Cockermouth MRT for extra hands. They arrived just as the team was preparing to begin the descent.

“The casualty was safely handed into the care of the ambulance service. Back at base, the team dried out kit and tucked into a well earned bacon and sausage sandwich, with a few extra members turning out to reset the vehicles so those who’d just spent 13 hours on the hill could finally get some sleep.

“Stay safe out there, and always let someone know your plans.”

The Wasdale MRT spokesperson added: “Massive thanks to Duddon and Furness MRT, Cockermouth MRT, and Coastguard R897 for turning out in such extreme and difficult conditions.”

The incident ended about 9.40am on Wednesday, almost 13 hours after the first callout and involved 19 Wasdale team members plus fellow volunteers from the two other Lake District teams.

Sunday Afternoons Flash Cap. Photo: Bob Smith Photography

Price: £32.95
Weight: 60g
Country of manufacture: Vietnam
Colour: black
Fabric: 96 per cent polyester; four per cent Spandex
Women’s version: no
Sizes: one size, 54cm-60.5cm

I’m not a big wearer of hats, mainly using them to keep my head and ears warm on winter days.

But with the advancing years comes an emerging problem, particularly evident during the scorching summer we’ve enjoyed: a thinning of my hair. And with the sun beating down on my exposed head, it was time to act. So I laid my hands on this Sunday Afternoons headwear.

The cap has a rear adjustable strip. Photo: Bob Smith Photography

The Flash Cap is a lightweight baseball-type hat. It has a good sized stiff brim, two narrow mesh panels and an adjustable hook-and-loop band at the back, with reflective strip. The cap also has two small reflective areas at the back.

There’s a wicking sweatband inside the cap, covering the forehead and sides of the head. The main fabric of the hat gives UPF 50+ sun protection, which provided welcome security on this year’s many sun-drenched days on the hill.

I have rather a big head – no sniggering at the back of class – but the cap fitted well, thanks to the adjustment strap, and stayed in place in breezy conditions. The peak has dark lining, so on sunny days the hat provided good shading, both with and without my sunglasses. The Flash Cap has two slots that you can slide glasses’ arms into to store them at the front of the cap when you enter shaded areas.

And if you have a pigtail, the cap’s design accommodates this.

You can slot your sunglasses into the cap. Photo: Bob Smith Photography

In use, the Flash Cap provided good protection without being too warm; its breathable fabric and light weight proved good in hot conditions.

On sustainability, the hat is made from recycled bluesign-approved material. Sunday Afternoons ensures its products are free from long-chain-per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); it partners four conservation bodies, including the European Outdoor Conservation Association; it is climate neutral certified.

The Sunday Afternoons Flash Cap is an easy addition to your rucksack, lightweight and taking up very little space. It was comfortable and, importantly, provided UV protection on those memorable sunny days.

Performance 35/40
Comfort 27/30
Quality 7/10
Value for money 7/10
Sustainability 7/10
Total score: 83/100

• The Flash Cap was supplied to grough by Sunday Afternoons

Airedale Hospital consultant anaesthetist and ultrarunner Tom Hollins. Photo: Bob Smith Photography

Ultrarunner Tom Hollins has abandoned his attempt to complete a Lakeland Round of 330 peaks.

The athlete cited bad blisters and nausea for his decision to give up the challenge after summiting 53 tops.

He set himself the goal of running to the summit of all 214 mountains described in Alfred Wainwright’s series of Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells, plus 116 of the minor peaks detailed by the author in his Outlying Fells book. He set off from Keswick on Tuesday morning.

The consultant anaesthetist, who works at Airedale Hospital in Keighley, set up a JustGiving page to raise cash through his challenge for the Airedale Hospital and Community Charity’s emergency department appeal. A total of 105 donors had pledged more than £3,700 at the time of writing.

Explaining his decision to halt his run in the early hours of Thursday, Hollins said: “I’ve never felt nauseous for more than an hour on a run. Eating well is my strength.

“I’ve never got bad blisters within the first 24 hours on a run. That was Monday. Since yesterday neither of those things are true.

“I’ve had to call time on my attempt on the Lakeland round. Success deferred. There will be another day. It’s a shame after all the prep. And a shame that the weather conditions couldn’t have been any better.

“And a shame my body didn’t agree.

“Thank you to everyone who sponsored me to support the paediatric and bereavement facilities in Airedale ED. I’ve let you down. It was a great cause on Monday and it’s still a great cause today.”

A spokesperson for the charity said: “We are really sad to let you know that Tom has had to end his Lakeland Round Challenge.

“He is OK and we know you will join us in sending him your best wishes.”

Hollins has previously completed two continuous rounds of the Wainwrights, one of which as the first ever self-supported round in winter, accomplished in less than 8½ days in 2025.

In 2017 he won the Winter Spine Race, running the full 268-mile length of the Pennine Way and has completed a ‘vertical marathon’, summiting Pendle Hill in Lancashire 223 times, completing the equivalent of 26 miles of ascent.

Tom Hollins. Photo: Bob Smith Photography

An experienced endurance runner is preparing for his longest challenge yet: a continuous circuit of 330 peaks in and around the Lake District.

Tom Hollins plans to start his Lakeland Round run at the Moot Hall in Keswick on Tuesday, with the goal of raising money for a charity at the hospital where he works.

The route includes ascending not only the 214 official peaks described by author Alfred Wainwright in his series of Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fell, but also the 116 from the Outlying Fells of Lakeland, detailed in the 1974 companion to the main series.

These lesser fells range from Dent in the West, to Humphrey Head in the South. Faulds Brow marks the northernmost hill in the list, and High House Bank the eastern limit of the challenge.

Hollins, a consultant anaesthetist at Airedale General Hospital in Keighley, has previously completed two continuous rounds of the Wainwrights, one of which as the first ever self-supported round in winter, accomplished in less than 8½ days in 2025.

In 2017 he won the Winter Spine Race, running the full 268-mile length of the Pennine Way and has completed a ‘vertical marathon’, summiting Pendle Hill in Lancashire 223 times, completing the equivalent of 26 miles of ascent.

The Wainwrights round involved 500km of running, but the Lakeland Round far surpasses the distance. He said: “This is far further than I have run before and is the next step in my journey of exploring the outdoors and testing what I’m capable of.

“It is also a personal tribute to Alfred Wainwright and all the great family memories he created. As well as the fells, I plan to visit Wainwright’s first entry point to the Lakes, Windermere train station, and the place where his ashes were scattered, Innominate Tarn.”

Hollins said his parents loved the Wainwright pictorial guides, and he said the hand-drawn sketches brought the hills to life.

“I kept turning the pages until I got to the eighth book on the shelf, The Outlying Fells of Lakeland, which I realised contained many beautiful places which I had never visited. I also realised that completing the Wainwrights and the outlying fells had been done by hillwalkers, but no one had ever run a continuous round of these tops before.

“I’ve spent more than a decade taking on long-distance challenges, and while I’ve been fortunate to have some successes along the way, each one has taught me more about resilience and humility.

Airedale Hospital consultant anaesthetist and ultrarunner Tom Hollins. Photo: Bob Smith Photography

“In my role as a consultant anaesthetist at Airedale Hospital, I’ve cared for many patients in the emergency department. I see every day how hard the ED team works and how important the right environment and resources are, especially when time is critical. “That’s why I’ve chosen to support Airedale Hospital and Community Charity’s Emergency Department Appeal.

“Every year since 2014 an average of 75,000 patients have visited ED to seek emergency care. This means in just nine years over half a million people have received help when they need it most.”

His target is to raise £10,000 for the charity and he has set up a JustGiving page which, at the time of writing had pledges of just over £2,500.

Outdoor brands Scarpa and Montane are also supporting the challenge, with the former offering a prize of Spin Planet trail shoes and the latter a Vortic waterproof jacket to the person who donates more than £5 to the appeal and guesses the correct time it will take the runner to complete the round and how many metres of ascent he will make.

He said: “Entries to the prize competition will be open until midnight on 10 May (there is your first clue). The closest to the correct answer in each category will win a prize. After 10 May the answers may become too easy to guess, but donations to the emergency department will still be very gratefully received.”

Entries can be made via the JustGiving page. The public will also be able to follow Tom Hollins’s progress from Tuesday on the Kong Tracking page.

The injured woman is winched into the helicopter. Photo: Keswick MRT

A woman was airlifted from a Lake District mountainside after injuring herself in a fall while scrambling.

The 60-year-old tumbled 50m (164ft) after slipping on broken ground on Raven Crag on the flanks of Grey Knotts on Sunday.

Keswick Mountain Rescue Team was alerted at 10.15am and volunteers made their way to the site in Gillercomb, west of Seathwaite. A team spokesperson said the woman had severe cuts to her head.

“Due to the location and potential serious nature of the incident, assistance from Rescue 895, based at Carlisle, was requested. The woman was treated by the helicopter paramedic and Keswick team, before being packaged and winched to the helicopter for an airlift to hospital.”

The rescue involved 15 Keswick MRT volunteers and lasted 3½ hours.

The spokesperson said: “Many thanks to R895 for their assistance. Some impressive flying.”

The R895 AgustaWestland AW189 helicopter is one of two additional Coastguard aircraft and crews added to the rescue roster during summer months, when demand for search and rescue increases as more members of the public take to the mountains.

R895 is based at Carlisle and a similar aircraft works out of Oban in the western Highlands. The two new helicopters are on call between the hours of 9am and 9pm, April to September.

David Parrish

Rescuers have paid tribute to an ultrarunner who died while trying to set a record for running the Cape Wrath Trail.

David Parrish was raising funds for Scottish Mountain Rescue during his unsupported attempt.

He set out on the 230-mile remote route as a tribute to his fellow former Royal Marine Luke Ireland who died of hypothermia while running in the mountains of Glen Clova in 2014.

Volunteers from Kintail Mountain Rescue Team led the search for 35-year-old David Parrish after he was reported missing on Saturday, and his body was found about 10.25pm that day, close to Meallan Odhar above Glen Shiel.

A spokesperson for Kintail MRT said: “Our thoughts are with David’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time. David was an experienced hillgoer and mountain runner who tragically died doing something he loved.”

A spokesperson for Scottish Mountain Rescue said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of David Parrish during his fundraising challenge on the Cape Wrath Trail.

“His loss is felt sharply across our teams, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones at this incredibly painful time.

David Parrish with Luke Ireland

“David was a generous, warm-hearted and inspiring member of our community, who had chosen to take on this challenge in memory of a close friend who lost their life while running in the hills. David’s dedication to honouring his friend’s memory, while raising funds to support our service, truly moved us all.

“His fundraising efforts will support our volunteer teams as they continue to respond to emergencies across Scotland’s mountains, leaving a lasting legacy to both friends in the Scottish outdoors.

“Everyone at Scottish Mountain Rescue is devastated by this news. Our thoughts are with David’s family, friends, and all those affected by this tragic loss. We also remember Luke, in whose memory this challenge was undertaken, making this loss all the more profound.”

Scottish Mountain Rescue is the umbrella organisation for 26 volunteer mountain rescue teams north of the border.

The Dumfries-based ultrarunner won the Cape Wrath Ultra race at his first attempt, with Jo Meek in 2023.

The record for an unsupported completion of the trail, which runs from Fort William to the north-westernmost point of the Scottish mainland at Cape Wrath, along an undefined route, is just over 3½ days.

Police Scotland said: “There are no suspicious circumstances and his next of kin are aware.”

David Parrish’s JustGiving page had attracted donations totalling more than £19,000 at the time of writing, with more than 850 people donating.

• This version of the story replaces and earlier one in which a photo of Luke Ireland was erroneously used instead of one of David Parrish. Apologies for the error.

The Priest's Hole is located high on Dove Crag. Photo: Bob Smith Photography

A group of adventurous teenagers had to be rescued from a Lake District mountainside as Storm Dave lashed the fells.

The four young men intended to camp in the Priest’s Hole on Dove Crag, but failed to reach the cave.

Rescuers said the youngsters were lucky to escape without serious injury.

Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team was alerted by Cumbria police about 9.10pm on Saturday.

A team spokesperson said: “The duty leader put the team on standby and attempted to contact the group of males. After numerous attempts contact was eventually made.

“It was quickly established the group had failed to reach the Priest’s Hole and had succumbed to the wild and wet weather which storm Dave was throwing at them and were now cold, wet and fearing for their lives as they didn’t have a tent to protect them.

“A full callout was initiated and team members made their way to Patterdale base along the lake road where trees were blown over and lots of debris from the high winds was making driving conditions dangerous.”

The Patterdale team requested the help of colleagues from Penrith MRT because of the nature of the rescue and the location.

“On reaching the group, one of the casualties was suffering from mild hypothermia,” the spokesperson said. “He was treated at scene, given medication and warmed up before slowly walking off the hill to the team’s Land Rovers parked in the Hartsop valley bottom.

“Once back at Patterdale base they were given hot drinks and warm dry clothing. Suitable advice was given on how lucky they were to be rescued in the conditions without serious injuries received.

“The team would like to remind the public that the Priest’s Hole is hard to find in the dark and can have serious consequences if you fail to find the route up the rock face, especially in wet and wild conditions.

“Patterdale MRT would also like to remind everyone to check the weather forecasts for the area intended and avoid exposed location in predicted storms. Numerous teams were out during the storm for stricken wild campers, putting everyone’s lives in danger unnecessarily.”

The six-hour incident involved 12 Patterdale MRT volunteers 11 Penrith team members. The Patterdale spokesperson thanked colleagues from the neighbouring team for their help.

The Patterdale team has previously pointed out the Priest’s Hole has grown in popularity following the BBC’s Secret Britain programme in 2016.

“Since the programme was aired, Patterdale MRT members have responded to several serious incidents, including a fatal accident at the site,” it said. “The programme has definitely increased the number of people attempting to spend the night there.”

Keswick MRT, meanwhile, has pleaded with those online to share details of rescues to help educate less experienced hill-goers.

The team said: “We are seeing an increase in callouts for ‘bucket-list’ hikers and younger walkers who follow viral trends rather than mountain safety.

“If you’re an influencer or have a following, please share the lessons from our incident reports to your stories. We need to reach the people who don’t follow us yet.

“We love your support, but please keep the comments kind. We share the stories of rescues to educate and update, not to invite judgment on the casualties involved. Let’s keep this a space for learning so we can reach those who don’t yet know the risks.”

The Dragon's Back followed the mountainous route down Wales. Photo: Bob Smith Photography

The company behind some of the UK’s toughest mountain running events has gone out of business,

Director Shane Ohly said Ourea Events has ceased trading.

He said upcoming races, the Northern Traverse, Cape Wrath Ultra, Dragon’s Back and Skyline Scotland will not take place, leaving runners who were anticipating the challenges without a race and out of pocket.

Mr Ohly said: “This is a deeply painful moment for everyone involved with the business, including our participants, staff, partners, suppliers, volunteers, and the wider trail-running community that has supported our events for the last 15 years.

“I am truly sorry that we have reached this point.

“We are especially aware of participants who have already paid race entry fees for our events. By opting to cease trading at this stage, our goal is to maximise the likelihood that the events will continue under a different structure or ownership. We sincerely hope this approach will give the best opportunity to protect the events and, where possible, deliver value for participants and creditors.”

The most recent accounts posted by Ourea Events, covering the period up to December 2024, showed it was relying on income from 2025 races to cover a deficit.

Mr Ohly said: “I believe we owe some explanation to participants who have trusted us with the entry fees, often paid long in advance of the event they have entered.

“Ourea Events was a profitable business before the Covid-19 pandemic, recording a modest profit at the end of 2019. However, the pandemic led to an 18-month period during which events could not take place and income ceased. Like many event companies, we were ineligible for Covid-related grants. This left Ourea with substantial Covid-related debt and a significantly weakened financial position.

“The pandemic was followed by Brexit at the end of 2020, which led to a collapse in international participation, especially among Europeans. At its peak, international participation reached as high as 50 per cent at some events. Additionally, the cost-of-living crisis in 2022 significantly impacted the business because our budgets are set well in advance, and when our costs increased by around 20 per cent, entry fees lagged 12 months behind revised costs.

“Ever since Covid, we have worked diligently to rebuild the business and restore its financial stability by pouring endless love and attention into each event. However, despite these efforts, the business has continued to operate at a loss. Throughout this period, we have held regular financial reviews with our professional advisers, and our judgment was that continuing to trade, continuing to organise the events, while gradually repaying debts, remained a reasonable and achievable way forward.

“Regrettably, the current trend in entries for 2026 clearly indicates that the financial situation will only gradually deteriorate further this year. Therefore, it has become evident that continuing to trade is neither fair nor reasonable, as it risks increasing the overall debt owed to creditors, participants, and suppliers.

“At this stage, although it was difficult, we decided that the only responsible action was to cease trading and allow the business to undergo a reorganisation.”

The Northern Traverse, and Lakes Dales and Moors Traverses were sold out and were due to start on 28 March, along the route of Wainwright’s Coast to Coast Walk. These will not now run.

The 400km Cape Wrath Ultra in northern Scotland, was planned to run in May. The Dragon’s Back in Wales was revived by Ourea Events in 2012 and was scheduled for September.

Mr Ohly said: “These events will not go ahead in 2026 under Ourea Events. We understand that many participants will be deeply disappointed and frustrated. Participants will be contacted in due course. We must ask you not to contact Ourea Events, as no-one will be able to respond.

“I want to thank the extraordinary community that has supported Ourea Events over the years, including runners, volunteers, partners, and other stakeholders who have helped create truly special events in the mountains and landscapes of the UK.

“In particular, I want to pay tribute to the exceptional team of employees I have had the honour to work with at Ourea Events.

“While today’s news is deeply upsetting, my sincere hope is that this process will allow the events themselves to continue in some form in the future. I am truly humbled by this experience and the support that the running community has given over many years.

“Please accept my sincerest apology.”

The Coastguard helicopter crew winch the injured man into their helicopter. Photo: Keswick MRT

A man was airlifted to hospital after suffering serious injuries when he fell more than 300ft on the Helvellyn range.

Two rescue teams and two helicopters were involved in the operation to help the man on Friday.

Cumbria police initially alerted Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team about 5pm but as the incident was on Browncove Crags on the western side of the fell, the team passed control to their colleagues in Keswick MRT.

A Keswick team spokesperson said: “The casualty was with a friend when he slipped, was unable to ice-axe arrest and fell approximately 100m down one of the gullies.

“His friend raised the alarm then made his way around to the base of the crag to find the casualty who was conscious but in a lot of pain. Fortunately they had a bothy bag in which to shelter until the team arrived.

“A Coastguard helicopter was requested and Rescue 936 from Caernarfon attended but was unable to get to the casualty location due to the low cloud.”

The incident was the first for the team’s new leader Tom Blakely who had taken over Keswick MRT’s team leadership at its annual meeting the previous evening.

A Patterdale MRT spokesperson said: “Due to [Keswick] MRT initially being low on responding team members and seriousness of the incident, KMRT requested assistance.”

Five Patterdale members who had just returned to their base after a snowy walk on Helvellyn then travelled to the Thirlmere valley to help.

The Keswick spokesperson said: “The casualty was assessed, given pain relief and packaged for a stretcher evacuation. The casualty was lowered by rope down the steep and snowy scree fan and then sledged and carried downward.

Rescuers stretcher the injured man down the mountainside. Photo: Patterdale MRT

“The Coastguard meantime supplied a grid reference for the team to aim for, where a winch evacuation would hopefully be possible. Once the team were below the cloud R936 very skilfully flew up towards the team.”

The casualty was winched into the helicopter and taken to the base of the hill where a Great North Air Ambulance Service team were awaiting to continue medical care. The GNAAS medics then accompanied the casualty in the helicopter to hospital in Preston.

The incident involved 21 Keswick MRT volunteers and the five from the Patterdale team.

The Keswick MRT spokesperson added: “Many thanks to the five Patterdale team members who turned out to help.”

Alpkit chief executive David Hanney

Outdoors company Alpkit said it has secured its operating future by entering into a ‘pre-pack’ administration.

The move saved the jobs of 194 staff, it said, and enabled the Nottinghamshire-based outfit to keep its stores open and fulfil orders.

Dutch financier Jeroen van den Berge will become non-executive chair of Alpkit and will work with the existing managerial team. He was described as an experienced investor, operator and outdoor enthusiast.

The company said, in a statement: “Financially, times have been tough. We’ve faced a ‘triple threat’ of macro-economic pressures over the last three years: rapid cost inflation, a challenging retail environment, and new trade barriers while servicing post-pandemic recovery loans.

“Our board has worked extensively over recent months to explore options and find a way to secure our future. This work has resulted in our securing new investment via a pre-pack process. The pre-pack process means that Alpkit briefly went into administration so that the company could be purchased by our new investor.”

A pre-pack administration allows for the sale of a business to an investor as a going concern, without affecting the continuity of business operations on the appointment of an administrator who would otherwise have to find a buyer for the company.

Alpkit said: “We have written to all our shareholders to share the news that, by Alpkit being put into administration, they have lost the value of their shares.

“This is a story of mixed emotions: sadness that we have not been able to offer a return to our shareholders; regret that we’ve let down people who put their trust in us. Determination that we will make good on the next chapter of Alpkit, knowing that the new ownership means we become well funded, more resilient.”

It added that all existing crowdfund shareholders will be offered a stake in the new company.

In 2020 the company offered its customers the chance to buy shares in Alpkit, with 1,350 customers snapping up the offer within 43 minutes. It repeated the exercise in October 2022. More than 470,000 shares were held by the CrowdCube nominees, which organised these offers.

The company, which had a turnover of £15m in its most recent accounts, but the number of customers had declined by 5 per cent. Its auditors noted in October 2024 a net loss of almost £1.5m and six-monthly loan facilities, including one in February 2026, casting a significant doubt on the company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

The company’s stated strategy was to increase its margins by moving production to regions with lower costs.

It donated one per cent of its turnover to the charitable Alpkit Foundation and is a B Corp certified company and has won awards for quality.

This week’s statement said: “The financial restructuring means that we can continue to do what we do – offering you technical outdoor gear that works hard but costs less.”

In April 2025, Alpkit bought the outdoor and travel bag brand Trakke.

Jeroen van den Berge, the new investment partner, said: “What excites me about Alpkit is the strong heritage and values, leading product credentials, direct-to-consumer model and loyal membership base.

“I also share the team’s vision of Alpkit becoming a home to other complimentary brands, similar to what was achieved with Trakke. I look forward to supporting David [Hanney, chief executive] and the team during the next phase of their exciting journey.”

The brand began in the Peak District in 2004, launched by four friends who, frustrated at the price of outdoor kit, decided to make and sell sustainable, technical kit at sensible prices.

David Hanney said on Wednesday: “While today is a day of reflection on the challenges that led to this restructure, and we deeply regret the impact on our creditors, partners and shareholders, it is also the start of a vital new chapter.”