Jason Taylor, one of the two Hellvellyn felltop assessors
The vital winter mountain service that provides information about felltop conditions has been saved after it was threatened by budget cuts.
The daily reports from the summit of Helvellyn will again run from next month following the intervention of local sponsors and what the Lake District National Park Authority said was ‘good financial housekeeping’.
The authority, in common with all national parks, is having its budget cut by 29 per cent by the coalition Government, putting the two felltop assessors’ jobs at risk.
But Jon Bennett from Ambleside and Jason Taylor from Penrith will begin their daily trips to the top of the 950m (3,117ft) Lakeland mountain on 3 December thanks to website sponsorship by a number of companies including outdoor gear retailers George Fisher and The Outdoor Warehouse, along with Striding Edge hostel which lies on the route from Glenridding to Helvellyn, and Coniston Boating Centre.
The website has been redesigned to accommodate the sponsorship.
The two men will alternate their week-long shifts, checking weather conditions, snow and ice and other observations on England’s third-highest mountain.
Park management team leader Chris Tomlin said: “We are all so pleased that this vital winter service is up and running again.
Jon Bennett will share the assessor's role with his colleague. The ascent of Helvellyn will be made each day, including Christmas and New Year's Day
“The website looks fantastic and I’m sure the sponsors will be delighted with the results they achieve in associating themselves with the popular online facility.
“Jon and Jason are our ‘eyes and ears’ on the mountains. We know that thousands of our visitors and local residents will now be able to enjoy their winter mountain experiences safe in the knowledge that the vital information the fell top assessors collect helps provide a much fuller and more complete picture of what’s happening up on the high Lake District mountains.”
The reports, along with forecasts for the area, will appear on the Lake District Weatherline. There is also a recorded voicemail message on 0844 846 2444.
