The two walkers were found on Ill Crag in the Scafell Pike range
A rescue helicopter crew had to push themselves to the limit to airlift two walkers from a Lakeland fell after a nine-hour search involving 40 volunteer mountain rescuers from three teams.
Yesterday’s operation was the second nine-hour night-time rescue in four days for Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team on the Scafell Pike range.
The team’s chair Richard Warren said both incidents were avoidable.
The two walkers were found in the early hours of Monday morning in the most remote area of the Wasdale team’s operating area.
Cumbria Constabulary alerted Wasdale MRT at 9pm last night after the pair rang for help when they got lost while coming down from the 978m (3,209ft) summit of Scafell Pike.
Mr Warren said: “They were very cold and wet and were unable to give the team much information to narrow down the search area.
“With the assistance of Duddon and Furness and Keswick teams and Lake District Mountain Rescue Search Dogs, the whole of the Scafell massif was searched.
“At around 2 o’clock this morning, in challenging and very wet conditions, the pair were found near Calf Cove Gill, under Ill Crag.
“Their location was probably the furthest point from a roadhead within the team’s operational area.
“After being warmed and given dry clothing the casualties were evacuated by a Sea King from RAF Boulmer that was attending to assist the search.
“It should be noted that the RAF pushed themselves to the limits in very poor weather conditions in order to evacuate the lost walkers off the mountain and back to safety.”
On Thursday, the Wasdale team spent nine hours overnight searching for seven walkers who also got lost while descending Scafell Pike.
Five were eventually found on steep ground on the neighbouring mountain Scafell, and two others were discovered walking into Upper Eskdale.
Mr Warren said: “Both of these rescues were avoidable with proper preparation and planning and taking map, compass torches and knowing how to use them.”
Cheryl
31 July 2012I was one of the walkers and all I can say is I can't argue with the article. We were totally unprepared. We thought the walk was straight forward as we took the easy route but our assumptions proved to teach us a very valuable lesson. Never, ever take Mother Nature for granted. We both feel incredibly stupid and very guilty at the amount of man power it took to find us. We could never express enough how grateful we are to the rescue teams who were selfless enough to come out in large numbers to look for us. The mountain rescue team are amazing people who do this voluntarily. To anyone reading this article, I urge you to take it on board and make sure you never end up in the situation we did. Also, I would urge people to make donations to the rescue teams, they are an extremely valuable service and you never know when you or someone you know might need them, even the most prepared and experienced of walkers can get into trouble too.
carol jones
31 July 2012Enough said. Well done for being very honest. And yes - next time we are all stood in the bar of that comforting, cosy hostelry we occasionally retreat to, to celebrate our latest epic adventure in the hills - lets all remember to pop our change from that well earned pint, into the MRT donation box - it'll be the one right next to the hand pumps when you scan them for your tipple of choice.
Richard warren
31 July 2012Cheryl - thank you for your very open and honest comments. As a team we are keen to get our messages across to those who might perhaps stretch themselves too far and end up in trouble. Your comments are indeed greatly appreciated and I am sure will be read by many who have got themselves into similar difficulties in the past but manages to scrape through without having to resort to rescue. Making mistakes is part of the great outdoor experience and rest assure yourself that we have all stretched ourselves beyond the point of no return at some time in our past and got away with it.
Your message will be heart felt by many so put it behind you.
Thank you again
Richard
Chairman Wasdale MRT
Mike Ventress
31 July 2012I agree with all the above comments. Being a past Mountain Rescuer and at present, a keen fellwalker, I know both sides.
Rescue Team members are all volunteers and long may that continue. They are dedicated to what they do and what would we do without them? Keep up the good work lads, we walkers really do appreciate what you do.
Ray Cassidy
31 July 2012What a great dialogue - (trialogue?) We've all cocked up on the hills despite many years of experience in many cases. I've needed rescuing once but at least my mates were ballsy enough to do it without needing to call out a team. However there are many times when just for a little adventure I've deliberately gone out on my own, no map no compass and navigated, by smell I suppose, just to be free of everything. Every step has always been very aware of the potential embarrassment of it not going to the non-plan. However I agree with Phil's Facebook comment about this post that when the big organised groups of 3 peak adventurers get out and end up in places they shouldn't be, then - sorry - but yes, the organisers should take a bit of a hit for it. https://www.facebook.com/FreetimeMountainGear
Rachel
01 August 2012The trouble is Cheryl, people never think it will happen to them, you are a case in point in that despite the numerous people who have had to be rescued from our fells after getting lost and how widely detailed those rescues are, it didn't stop you going out unprepared did it? I am glad you are safe and well but it still astounds me that people take off into our hills with no navigational knowledge or equipment (and I mean a map and compass and knowing how to use them not a GPS)and have little in the way of adequate clothing to protect them in all weathers.
Our mountain rescue teams do an amazing job, accidents can happen, but people getting lost is just irresponsible, it is about time rescues for lost walkers could be charged for.
Martyn
02 August 2012Full marks for holding your hand up Cheryl, but I'm afraid I side with Rachel on this. You and your friends had no business on the mountain without the basic equipment (and knowledge) to keep yourselves safe and I wish, I truly wish that this was more widely understood. Mountain Rescue organisations do a terrific, selfless job in what are frequently awful conditions and it must be galling in the extreme for them to be called out (time and again I expect) for this kind of incident.
As for the Three Peak lot, well, Ray - I support your view also. Anyone doing the 3P challenge and venturing up Scafell Pike should automatically put 20 quid in a MRT collection box. It would be nice if they took some of their litter home too!
I'm sorry if I sound irritated, but nearly every week I see some example unthinking people putting themselves in danger. Only on Saturday I was coming off Esk Pike in poor weather to be accosted by two young liverpudlians, totally lost and seeking to get back to Langdale. Map? Compass? They had neither.
Gav
17 May 2015Rachel, you're on a slippery slope with this! The day charges are brought in, and I do reckon it's coming, is the day a lot of folk will stop telling people where they're going. And I'll be one of them!
Gav
17 May 2015Apologies, I didn't realise that this report was three years old, I've just been wakened (at 4.00am) by post wedding revelry at a small hotel just outside Nantes and had been browsing on my iPad in an effort to get back to sleep! My view still stands though and Martyn, over the last fifty years of walking, I've met and assisted perhaps a dozen or more lost or ill equipped walkers in the Scottish hills. These guys will learn by experience! I'd advocate the formation of secondary tier of mountain volunteers to man stations at the foot of the mountains which most attact ill equipped walkers vis a vis Ben Nevis and Ben Lomond and in Glen Clova and Arrochar for example to engage, advise and, if necessary actively discourage the obviously ill equipped. I'm pretty sure that Dundee City Council already have a Ranger on hand at Glen Clova carrying out a similar role. Now being perhaps too old to add much value to an MRT I'd be more than happy to give up two or three weekend days a month during busy periods for this express purpose and I'm sure you'd find a considerable number of like minded and experienced mountaineers happy to do the same?