Mountain rescuers in action in the Lake District
Police and mountain rescuers have hailed as a success signs put up in the Lake District to warn walkers of the potential dangers of fellwalking.
Notices were placed at popular access points in Langdale earlier this month pointing out the need for the correct safety equipment when venturing on to Cumbria’s mountains. The move followed an unprecedented period in which Langdale and Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team was called out ten times in one week.
A spokesperson for Cumbria Constabulary said: “Compared to the annual average of 100 incidents, the seven-day period stretched the resources of the voluntary team who had to deal with two fatalities, two individuals with serious life-threatening injuries and others with significant injuries such as broken limbs.
“The team was also there to escort those left on the fell tops following the death or serious injury of their walking companions.”
After the signs were put up, the number of calls to mountain rescue dropped significantly. The spokesperson said: “Langdale and Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team has been called to two incidents where individuals were trapped on Pavey Ark on Saturday 7 February and Sunday 8 February, but both were recovered successfully and no injuries were sustained.”
PC Paul Burke who has been working closely with LAMRT said: “We’re really encouraged that the signs appear to have had the desired effect and are making people stop and think about their own safety.
“Recent weeks have seen some of the most beautiful yet treacherous conditions the county has experienced for many years and for the ill prepared, the fells can be deadly.
“We have found that many visitors who expect the same mild, wet weather that we have experienced over recent years have been caught off-guard, and have not had the necessary equipment to enjoy the high fells without compromising their safety.
“Since the signs have been in place, calls for assistance from the rescue team have diminished. We’re pleased to hear from local outdoor shops that they have witnessed a rise in the numbers of walkers turning to them for advice around the correct walking equipment.”
Police in north Wales last week joined with mountain rescue teams and mountaineering bodies to warn that only experienced walkers with ice axes and crampons should venture on to England and Wales’s mountains.
Jhimmy
20 February 2009The question I'm asking myself is "Why are the people who have read the signs, and responded to the them, there in the first place?"
Don't get me wrong. I'm all for people choosing whether to walk in any conditions, everyone has to gain experience. I hope I'm not looking as being elitist, but just practical.
But think about it. People might drive -sometimes in deep snow- for many miles to reach Langdale (for example), put all their clothes and boots on and begin their walk. When they reach the warning signs, they then heed the advice and return.
I doubt any experienced walker would return in this manner, so the question still stands, "Why are the people who have read the signs and responded to the them, there in the first place?"
Richard Warren
20 February 2009The way I look at it is this -
We did a rescue on Wednesday - clear weather, little wind - couple in their late twenties get themselves cragfast on Napes ridge on the descent from the summit of Great Gable heading for what they thought was Styhead Tarn to get them back to their car at Seathwaite. What they were actually looking at was Wastwater ( see Wasdale teams website to see the photo they took - callouts page) They had pushed themselves beyond there level of competence but as they were due to return home in the south, and after turning back the previous day at 600m on Skiddaw as it was too arduous, they wanted to bag a top.
If they had come across a sign that said "Please be sure that you are competent and experienced to get yourselves off this mountain safely?" I am pretty sure that they would have seriously considered turning back
Signs are always good for a debate
I ask the question of my self - are the numbers of incidents reduced because of the signs or because the snow has gone and the numbers of people wanting to get up above 2,000 feet to get some winter experience have dropped?
The one thing that would appear to be the case is that however many people have an unfortunate accident on the fells you can multiply that number by 100 when it comes to the roads (especially during severe weather)
I believe the signage was appropriate due to the severe weather and the numbers of callouts that teams were having to respond to. I have always believed that an average of 1 rescue per week can be coped with, but when you get up to an average of say 2 to 3 a week, the voluntary team members will struggle to be able balance MR (training/rescues/fundraising)with Home and Work commitments
So.......to the point........increase public awareness to ensure they are well equipped and suitably experienced to get the best out of the mountains which are there for all to enjoy .....The public have a responsibility to themselves and others to ensure that they do not become reliant on the mobile phone, the GPS and use MRTs to get them out of the trouble that many of them should never get themselves into. Mountain Rescuers want to continue providing a free service to those who genuinely have accidents and get into serious difficulty. We are here to rescue and not to judge (I hope this response is not seen as judgement)
Kind regards
Richard Warren
Chairman Wasdale MRT