Judy Whiteside, left, and Gail Todd

A rash Facebook promise has landed a pair of mountain rescuers with a major challenge.

Mountain Rescue magazine editor Judy Whiteside’s online brag about her marathon effort in completing the 26½-mile Rossendale Way was met with the question: ‘Coast to Coast next year then?’, and a fundraising adventure began.

So in May, Judy and her fellow mountain rescue team member Gail Todd will tackle the 309km (192-mile) Coast to Coast Walk across England to raise cash for a new fund to help out the families of rescuers who are injured while on duty. The pair aim to raise £5,000 with their effort.

The Twirlies on Tour walk is planned to start on 2 May, the second annual National Mountain and Cave Rescue Awareness Day and the women will be waved off from St Bees on the Cumbrian coast by members of the Wasdale MRT. En route to the finish two weeks later at Robin Hoods Bay on the Yorkshire coast, they will be accompanied by members of the Wasdale, Cockermouth, Keswick, Langdale and Ambleside, Patterdale, Penrith, Kirkby Stephen, Swaledale, Cleveland, and Scarborough and Ryedale teams.

And mountaineering elder statesman Sir Chris Bonington has said he will try to join the pair on their leg from Rosthwaite in Borrowdale to Grasmere on their third day.

Gail Todd is equipment officer of the Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue Team in Lancashire and Judy Whiteside is a trained mountain rescuer who has edited the Mountain Rescue magazine for 10 years.

They’ve turned the dismissive term used by a mountain rescue team member for women rescuers and used it for their gruelling Twirlies on Tour challenge.

“Gail and I will be twirling our way across the north of England on a mission,” said Judy.  “It is going to be a big challenge to come anywhere near our target: £5,000 is a big sum but it will also make a big difference.

“We’ve had a brilliant response so far and we’re hoping that Sir Chris Bonington will be joining us for at least part of the walk from Rosthwaite in Borrowdale to Grasmere on Wednesday 4 May.

“To raise our target amount would be fantastic but we’re also wanting to let more people know about the invaluable work of mountain rescue teams.  Sir Chris’s involvement should help us to promote these teams of volunteers too.”

David Allan, chair of Mountain Rescue England & Wales, said: “Mountain rescue is carried out entirely by volunteers; 3,500 members are available to participate in rescues across the country at any time with a further 500 people working to support them.

“The performance of difficult searches and rescues in the hills, the maintenance of equipment, the background organisation and, of course, fundraising are all done freely without reward or recompense.

“Each year presents a greater challenge to raise the resources needed to ensure the high standards of the service are sustained, and each year witnesses a rise in the number of incidents dealt with by mountain rescue both on and off the hills.

“Judy and Gail’s walk should be a valuable contribution towards funds and, just as important, towards an awareness of the nature and scale of mountain rescue in this country.”

Páramo has donated a Velez Adventure Smock to each of the women, and Whalley Warm and Dry in Whalley, Lancashire is providing kit for the trip.

Gail added: “All in all, what began as a vague idea to do the Coast to Coast with a friend is turning into quite a fundraising event. It is great to be able to support so many friends and colleagues in teams across the country. We’re just hoping that the weather is kind and that we don’t need to call on any of them for help.”

Members of the public can contribute to the pair en route, and a justgiving website has been set up for online donations.