Mountain Rescue Training

You might have expected to find Mallory,

Hillary and

Bonington in the high Himalayas.

Now you find them loitering on the heady heights of Bowland Forest.

Don’t expect an easy find.

Peat bogs will distract you and heathers humble

as you battle with nature’s attempts to send you headlong into the roots.

Many of us love to wander around hills.  Aimlessly, With purpose? Some even do it in the dark.

And so, just for practice Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue put on a weekend of wandering with intent to find.

Clambering over peatbog

On Friday Night Nav, (jargon for wandering around in the dark with a map), gave us a taste of the terrain.  There may not be jagged peaks and dramatic skylines in Bowland, but heather with the tenacity of trees gave legs the same work out as powered snow and could distracted direction more than a few degrees.

Little Hareden Clough

Saturday the planned drizzle, mist and high winds drifted away to blue skies and rolling hills.

Finding a post in the peat was a whole lot more fun when lunch could be eaten lolling in the now timorous heather of a ‘located’ stream confluence.

Looking up to Scout Rock

Serious Sunday.

There’s a big gap between snapping a limb and ‘rescue’ arriving.  Ambulances don’t do 4 minutes to the top of Scout Scar let alone Scafell.  Practical information on how to fill that gap.  Pragmatic and clear about how much, or little, could be done.

Mountain Rescue?

Then the kit.  Testing it.  Being wrapped in a spinal bag.  Having a leg stretched back into position and carrying it all.

Out on the hill again we were sent off to find a pseudo fallen runner.  A participatory experience in how the Mountain Rescue team pull together to save lives.  Just getting the kit out there is a major feat of co-ordination.  I could barely carry a bottle of entonox, managing only five minutes on my 10th of the stretcher bound runner.

Learning the hard way

This wonderful weekend was hosted by Bowland and Pennine Mountain Rescue and the Mountain Training Association.  All time was given by the MR free.  All fees went to Mountain Rescue.

A big thanks to Chris Thomas, the rest of the BPMRT team and Stephen Jones (MTA Peak Regional Coordinator).

I believe it is being planned for next year.  Highly recommended.

A bit more about the area here