Any Mountain Rescue Team members here?
Discussion
Mothersruin said:
Big Search Oop North - http://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2016/09/27/missin...
He was lucky that he was found.I can't imagine how confusing it must be to suddenly find yourself in thick fog in unfamiliar countryside, with no idea which way to walk.
matthias73 said:
It was real. The guy made his own way down in the morning and got picked up by a policeman.
Very impressed by the Brecon mountain rescue. If there's any on here, you probably know who I am now. If you'd like to know any details following his picking up drop me a PM.
Yeah, I'm BMRT, wasn't on that shout but heard all about it this evening. I'm sure the guy won't be living that down for a while (or make the team...)Very impressed by the Brecon mountain rescue. If there's any on here, you probably know who I am now. If you'd like to know any details following his picking up drop me a PM.
Here's a few pics from this evenings training fun & games - gulley up from Pont ar Daf Car Park, fallen walker - Search, find, secure, stabilise, recover and get the hell out of dodge. Required a belay system set up which was challenging as the rock was very close to the surface. We nearly had to go back as far a treeline to get anchors but luckily managed to get purchase and depth close(ish) to an optimum position. Stretcher and barrowboy deployed about 15 metres down with a manual recover back up. Endex. Debrief.
Conditions - lovely
Helluva day!
South Wales Regional Training - so guys from all the SW Teams including Cave Rescue, who were gracious enough to host at their gaff - SN 8555 1552
Early start for me as I'm 70 odd miles away, not that far really but when you live in the sticks, that's a 95 minute drive.
Arrive, chin wag (with tea), sign in and then sign up for either Crag Rescue, Cave Rescue, Hill SAR or Command. Everyone went for Crag and Cave - Crag in the morning, Cave in the afternoon in my instance. (we do Hill SAR and Command as our bread & butter - new stuff needs to be experienced)
The Crag was cool but somewhat frustrating as different teams have slightly different ways of doing stuff so it becomes a bit of a bun fight and as a Trainee, I stepped out as we've just been trained so we're actually bang on it and there were a few old fellas arguing the toss. I volunteered to go down with the stretcher for two reasons - it's fun to go down, it's important to get onto the CasCare side of things and then ascend, which is the Pro bit. Oh, And when you're down the crag, it's just you, your Oppo and the casualty - far less fuss, just get on with it.
Lunch.
Caving - I love the great outdoors, not so much the little indoors.
We went through a square hole 600mm x 600mm and entered one of the longest cave complexes in the world. Mental. There's a rule of thumb, 1 x 10 - 1 hour in a cave (caving in a direction), it'll take 10 hours to get you out. A very long story short, we descended in to the complex , bashed heads, got covered in s
t and found the casualty. Then the cave guys instructed us how to use their kit and how to move the stretcher through ridiculously tight spaces - awesome people - and very robust gear, it gets absolutely hammered in the caves.
It's interesting working with these people is that with a minimum of direction, the overland guys just got down and dirty as the Cavers did with us on the Crag work. It's fundamentally the same end goal, just different working conditions with a few elemental changes.
A few photos (more will follow once I've spoken to the other guys).
South Wales Regional Training - so guys from all the SW Teams including Cave Rescue, who were gracious enough to host at their gaff - SN 8555 1552
Early start for me as I'm 70 odd miles away, not that far really but when you live in the sticks, that's a 95 minute drive.
Arrive, chin wag (with tea), sign in and then sign up for either Crag Rescue, Cave Rescue, Hill SAR or Command. Everyone went for Crag and Cave - Crag in the morning, Cave in the afternoon in my instance. (we do Hill SAR and Command as our bread & butter - new stuff needs to be experienced)
The Crag was cool but somewhat frustrating as different teams have slightly different ways of doing stuff so it becomes a bit of a bun fight and as a Trainee, I stepped out as we've just been trained so we're actually bang on it and there were a few old fellas arguing the toss. I volunteered to go down with the stretcher for two reasons - it's fun to go down, it's important to get onto the CasCare side of things and then ascend, which is the Pro bit. Oh, And when you're down the crag, it's just you, your Oppo and the casualty - far less fuss, just get on with it.
Lunch.
Caving - I love the great outdoors, not so much the little indoors.
We went through a square hole 600mm x 600mm and entered one of the longest cave complexes in the world. Mental. There's a rule of thumb, 1 x 10 - 1 hour in a cave (caving in a direction), it'll take 10 hours to get you out. A very long story short, we descended in to the complex , bashed heads, got covered in s
t and found the casualty. Then the cave guys instructed us how to use their kit and how to move the stretcher through ridiculously tight spaces - awesome people - and very robust gear, it gets absolutely hammered in the caves.It's interesting working with these people is that with a minimum of direction, the overland guys just got down and dirty as the Cavers did with us on the Crag work. It's fundamentally the same end goal, just different working conditions with a few elemental changes.
A few photos (more will follow once I've spoken to the other guys).
Edited by Mothersruin on Monday 10th October 12:42
Just out of interest and further insight, this is from the Lochaber MRT (based around the Fort Bill/Glencoe area):
"Last week was a very difficult one for the team. We had 3 call outs, two of which included fatalities. Also, a very close friend of the Team, Emmy tragically lost her fight with cancer on Friday evening. Emmy's father was long time member of LMRT.
Our thoughts today are with the family and friends of the two climbers who died and with Emmy's family.
On Friday night we got called out to an incident on Long Climb on Ben Nevis where two climbers were involved in an incident about 150/200 metres from the top of the climb. The climb runs up the centre of the banner photo on our FB page above which is taken in winter. The rescue started at 6.15 pm on Friday evening and was not finished until 6.00 am next morning
This proved to be one of the most difficult and technical rescues Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team have ever been involved in. Conditions did not allow R951 get to do any more than taxi people and equipment onto the mountain. We were assisted by the RAF MRT on the evening. There were 18 team members and 13 RAF MRT involved.
The rescue involved a 600 metre lower down the route, the longest climb in the UK, to get one of the climbers who was stuck on belay. This was a very technical exercise, locating the precise location of the casualty in cloud and in the dark on a huge face on very dangerous terrain, as the top of the route is very loose this year.
The lower from the very summit of Ben Nevis was down the whole of the Orion Face with the rescuer and casualty hanging free for long sections of the lower before reaching the safer ground at the base of Observatory Gully.
The summit team, supported by RAF MRT, located the surviving climber and lowered him to the base of Observatory gully and walked out to a point where R951 could bring him back to Fort William.
The second climber unfortunately had died from his injuries and another team had to climb up from base to locate the casualty and then lower him down route and down to where he could be recovered to Fort William by R951.
The following is an extract from description by climber who did the route this weekend after the rescue and emphasises the risks involved in this rescue.
"Easily my most challenging (and longest) day in the mountains to date. Accidentally trundled some big blocks (largest about 4 times my size) from top of last pitch, surprised to realise I was still alive, as was my belayer, after doing so"
We would like to especially thank the RAF MRT, who without their assistance and support we would have taken considerably longer to effect the evacuations. We would also like to thank R951 who stayed most of the night to assist with getting people on and off the mountain in very difficult flying conditions for this air-frame.
Finally, on behalf of John and Donald, a very big public thank you to all the Team members and who took part on the rescue at considerable risk to themselves to save a life."
"Last week was a very difficult one for the team. We had 3 call outs, two of which included fatalities. Also, a very close friend of the Team, Emmy tragically lost her fight with cancer on Friday evening. Emmy's father was long time member of LMRT.
Our thoughts today are with the family and friends of the two climbers who died and with Emmy's family.
On Friday night we got called out to an incident on Long Climb on Ben Nevis where two climbers were involved in an incident about 150/200 metres from the top of the climb. The climb runs up the centre of the banner photo on our FB page above which is taken in winter. The rescue started at 6.15 pm on Friday evening and was not finished until 6.00 am next morning
This proved to be one of the most difficult and technical rescues Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team have ever been involved in. Conditions did not allow R951 get to do any more than taxi people and equipment onto the mountain. We were assisted by the RAF MRT on the evening. There were 18 team members and 13 RAF MRT involved.
The rescue involved a 600 metre lower down the route, the longest climb in the UK, to get one of the climbers who was stuck on belay. This was a very technical exercise, locating the precise location of the casualty in cloud and in the dark on a huge face on very dangerous terrain, as the top of the route is very loose this year.
The lower from the very summit of Ben Nevis was down the whole of the Orion Face with the rescuer and casualty hanging free for long sections of the lower before reaching the safer ground at the base of Observatory Gully.
The summit team, supported by RAF MRT, located the surviving climber and lowered him to the base of Observatory gully and walked out to a point where R951 could bring him back to Fort William.
The second climber unfortunately had died from his injuries and another team had to climb up from base to locate the casualty and then lower him down route and down to where he could be recovered to Fort William by R951.
The following is an extract from description by climber who did the route this weekend after the rescue and emphasises the risks involved in this rescue.
"Easily my most challenging (and longest) day in the mountains to date. Accidentally trundled some big blocks (largest about 4 times my size) from top of last pitch, surprised to realise I was still alive, as was my belayer, after doing so"
We would like to especially thank the RAF MRT, who without their assistance and support we would have taken considerably longer to effect the evacuations. We would also like to thank R951 who stayed most of the night to assist with getting people on and off the mountain in very difficult flying conditions for this air-frame.
Finally, on behalf of John and Donald, a very big public thank you to all the Team members and who took part on the rescue at considerable risk to themselves to save a life."
Small update;
Tonight was the practical exam for advancement to Probation;
1. Set up a full belay system for a vertical stretcher.
2. Set up a belay system for a single rope vertical stretcher.
3. Knots - around large trees, on a continuous rope - Bowline, Clove Hitch, Alpine Butterfly (on a stretch of rope), Re-threaded Figure of 8, Sheet Bend.
4. Radio Procedure with Map Reading.
5. Set up of the Control Vehicle for Power (generator) and Comms (raise and lower radio mast and Sat dish).
Passed - no issues.
I'm away next week; week after then will be my theory exam and then I'm good for call outs, providing I pass.
Tonight was the practical exam for advancement to Probation;
1. Set up a full belay system for a vertical stretcher.
2. Set up a belay system for a single rope vertical stretcher.
3. Knots - around large trees, on a continuous rope - Bowline, Clove Hitch, Alpine Butterfly (on a stretch of rope), Re-threaded Figure of 8, Sheet Bend.
4. Radio Procedure with Map Reading.
5. Set up of the Control Vehicle for Power (generator) and Comms (raise and lower radio mast and Sat dish).
Passed - no issues.
I'm away next week; week after then will be my theory exam and then I'm good for call outs, providing I pass.
Edited by Mothersruin on Thursday 13th October 02:47
Another small update;
I took the theory test on Wednesday and I've just been notified that I've passed
Now my application will go to the Leadership Team for approval and If I clear that OK, I'll become a probationary (12 months) member of the team.
The test was pretty in-depth - 14 odd pages of multiple guess, some detailed written answers and a map section.
I took the theory test on Wednesday and I've just been notified that I've passed
Now my application will go to the Leadership Team for approval and If I clear that OK, I'll become a probationary (12 months) member of the team.
The test was pretty in-depth - 14 odd pages of multiple guess, some detailed written answers and a map section.
Edited by Mothersruin on Friday 28th October 16:40
Thanks mate - very much appreciated.
Just to mention that unless it's deemed appropriate, I will not be posting about actual call outs unless there are specific technical elements that are interesting which do not conflict with the sensibilities of any parties involved.
Chances are what I'll post are the technical challenges of rescues posted on FB. At least then I'll know it's been cleared by the media people. I can't be arsed getting involved in that rubbish.
Just to mention that unless it's deemed appropriate, I will not be posting about actual call outs unless there are specific technical elements that are interesting which do not conflict with the sensibilities of any parties involved.
Chances are what I'll post are the technical challenges of rescues posted on FB. At least then I'll know it's been cleared by the media people. I can't be arsed getting involved in that rubbish.
Kit Issue and SARCALL induction - We're on call outs now!
In no particular order - Keela Munro Salopettes, Munro Jacket and Keela t-shirt base layer. Mountain Hardware Fitzroy Jacket, Paramo Fuera Ascent Jacket, Montane Fleece, High Viz Tabard and some Bolle protective glasses for heli work.
In no particular order - Keela Munro Salopettes, Munro Jacket and Keela t-shirt base layer. Mountain Hardware Fitzroy Jacket, Paramo Fuera Ascent Jacket, Montane Fleece, High Viz Tabard and some Bolle protective glasses for heli work.
Well done! I don't think the gear will stay that new and shiny for long.
By the way, what's your team's take on PLB's? I do a fair amount of remote solo walking in bits of Wales where there's little or no mobile signal, so now have one stashed in my 'emergency' stuffsack just in case...
By the way, what's your team's take on PLB's? I do a fair amount of remote solo walking in bits of Wales where there's little or no mobile signal, so now have one stashed in my 'emergency' stuffsack just in case...
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