Looking Stead, looking towards the north face of Pillar
A group of 23 walkers which had to be led from a Lake District fell at the weekend comes from a college that is a ‘regular customer’ of mountain rescue services.
A five-hour mission was launched on Sunday after the youth hostel warden at Black Sail spotted a flashed distress signal high on the fells above Ennerdale. The incident follows a similar callout in May last year when 35 volunteer team members spent six hours searching for five teenagers and their 18-year-old leader.
Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team was alerted just before 10pm on Sunday when the hostel warden spotted flashing lights on Looking Stead on Pillar.
The area, on the north side of the 892m (2,927ft) mountain has numerous crags and precipes, including Pillar Rock, home of some of Lakeland’s classic climbs. 13 Cockermouth team members were joined by 16 colleagues from the Wasdale MRT and found the group, aged between 14 and 23.
According to Mike Park of the Cockermouth team, some were wearing only t-shirts and trainers. It was misty, wet and dark, yet some of the walkers did not have torches. Some were showing early signs of hypothermia.
He said it was only a matter of luck that no-one was seriously injured. The group was from a religious college in north-east England.
The group got lost while descending from Kirk Fell and ended up on steep and dangerous ground half way down Looking Stead. The safest descent route from the area is the bridleway down from the Black Sail Pass. The rescue was described as ‘interesting’ as the teams guided 23 people, of differing fitness levels and some without torches, across the mountainside to safety.
They were taken to the Black Sail youth hostel and then driven by rescuers to their vehicle futher down the valley at Bowness Knott.
The leader of the group was also involved in the rescue last year in which the group of walkers was described as ‘clueless’ when they called for help after spending more than 18 hours on the Eskdale fells in a thunderstorm. At the time, Wasdale MRT leader Julian Carradice told grough: “They think mountain rescue is on standby for them. The Cairngorm team has had problems with them too.”
Mountain rescue teams in Britain, who are volunteers who turn out at any time, are coming under increasing pressure as the number of callouts increases, mainly due to inexperienced fellwalkers becoming lost. Cockermouth team members returned to their base at 4am.
rhodesy
11 August 2009I've always been against charging for mountain rescue but there should be a few exceptions; this is certainly one of them.
Mike
11 August 2009Time to name and shame the college group and this clueless leader.
Chris Hunt
12 August 2009It's the Talmudical College in Bensham, near Gateshead - according to http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-evening-chronicle/2009/08/11/search-crews-slam-gateshead-hill-walkers-72703-24371930/
They claim, though, that they didn't organise this trip and know nothing about it.
If their pupils are interested in getting into the outdoors - which is a good thing in this day and age, in my view - is there no way that the school can get involved in organising some training? We should be encouraging these kids as well as educating them.
alan.sloman
12 August 2009As this school seems to be a regular 'customer' of the MRT's throughout Britain, might it be a good idea to send a local experienced walker to their school to give a talk about the work of the MRT's, how they are funded and talk about the voluntary apsect of the team members themselves?
The talk could also run through the minimum requirements for a trip on the fells. This way perhaps the call-outs will reduce and the children will still be getting their experience of the outdoors, but in a safer manner.
I am sure there must be many folk who woud take this project on?