Patrick relay summer 2015

Summer 2015

Patrick Relay

Photo: Dave Freeborn

News from the Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team

Lights donation for Land Rovers A national company has given the Team the opportunity to upgrade its three vehicles and to be even safer and better seen when operating at night.

Appeal for radio upgrade

Glenn Bridge, the Team’s Equipment Officer, explains: “A specialist auto electricals company, Mobile Centre, offered to help rescue teams back in 2014 and we’ve now been able to take advantage of their support. Through a combination of donations and discounts, all three of our Team Land Rovers are now equipped with LED headlights, rear and signal lights. That’s about £2000 worth of equipment in all and we’re very grateful to Mobile Centre fot its generosity.”

Billy Bott has been the point of contact for this offer and over £50,000 of lighting products have been donated to UK rescue teams and their Defenders.

“The LED headlights reduce driver fatigue, which then increases safety, giving rescue teams all the advantages of 21st Century automotive lighting,” says Billy.

“It’s been great to contribute something so useful to such a worthy cause.”

The new Patterdale lighting systems were fitted by the Team’s regular servicing and MOT garage, Chambers in Tirril and the three vehicles have been in action in recent weeks on a variety of searches and rescues.

“These Land Rovers are crucial to our work,” says Team Leader, Mike Blakey.

“The winter months are particularly busy for us in Patterdale and the new LED lighting kits will reduce the pull on battery power when we’re in the mountains as well as giving us brighter lights to work by. As a rescue team, we’re reliant on fundraising and donations so gifts in kind like this are a huge boost to our work.

Thanks go to everyone at Mobile Centre for their support.”

The Team has launched an appeal to raise £25,000 to replace its radio communications system.

As you can imagine, keeping in contact before and during an incident is crucial and our current radio system has been in place through a lot of changes and developments in technology. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the appeal so far – we’ve raised over £6000 as Patrick Relay went to press – and thank you also for some of the wonderful comments online.

See for yourself at www.justgiving.com/ Patterdale-Mountain-Rescue-Team-Appeal.

Visit the Patterdale Mountain Rescue web site at www. mountainrescue.org.uk for latest call outs

Just a gentle stroll …

But the Team is all too aware of the hazards of what can seem like just a gentle stroll by a waterfall and, with about 250,000 visitors each year, this tends to mean an occasional rescue.

“The path by Aira Force is frequently wet and can get quite slippery,” explains Team Leader, Mike Blakey. “The recent path and barrier improvements have helped a lot but, when so many visitors only have the simplest of summer footwear, it can still present a danger.”

In 2014, the Team was involved in five different rescues at Aira Force and a range of skills were needed to get casualties out of some difficult situations.

“Even if the casualty is not in the water, the tight spaces of the gorge can make it difficult to get an injured person on to a stretcher for safe evacuation,” says Berni Gilmartin, the Team’s Training Officer, “and then there’s usually quite a steep carry out to a Land Rover ambulance. We’ve also had to use our water rescue equipment and skills in the past when someone had fallen into Aira Beck. That amount of fast flowing water can be really dangerous as hypothermia sets in very quickly for the casualty and Team members are at risk too. We have to know exactly what we’re doing and then work effectively but also fast.”

So, if you’re planning to explore Aira Force – or nearby Gowbarrow – remember to be careful. Watch your step and make sure that you and your friends and family have footwear that’s suitable for the conditions under foot.

New Steamer Pier at Aira Green Photo: Ullswater Steamers

Aira Force Photo: Jacquie Freeborn

Aira Force is one of the Lake District’s best-loved waterfalls and a popular attraction for visitors. In recent years, the National Trust has invested in new paths, steps and bridges and opened a visitor welcome building too. Then, earlier this summer, a new jetty was opened at Aira Green by the Ullswater Steamer Company.

… or a tricky scramble There’s been a lot in the press – in Cumbria and further afield – in recent weeks as the number of fatalities on Helvellyn reached five for the year so far. With local councillors and others talking about warning signs in car parks and various conversations online about the experience and equipment of those involved, Team Leader, Mike Blakey has been quoted a number of times, making the case for education and awareness rather than regulation and restrictions.

“We need to take a balanced view,” says Mike. “Hundreds of people go up on to Helvellyn’s summit at weekends, probably tens of thousands in a year, so there are an awful lot of people enjoying it safely.”

“It’s too easy to jump to the conclusion that these fatalities could be avoided,” he continues, “when, in fact, an accident can happen to even the most experienced and well-equipped walker. Yes, people need to be aware of the challenges of routes like Striding Edge and Swirral Edge but having a guide or avoiding these scrambles completely would mean that many people could miss out on one of the most impressive and exhilarating days out in the Lake District.”

And the Team’s advice for anyone cons : Plan your route to accommodate the least ex group. : Check the summit forecast as well as the wea can be very different near the top. : Carry the clothing and equipment, food and d – in wet and windy weather, you’d need plent weren’t moving and were waiting for a rescue : And, in winter weather conditions, be sure to how to use them for self-arrest – the valley m and it’s very difficult to avoid icy patches on y

Visit the Patterdale Mountain Rescue web site at www. mounta

From Hadrian to the Himalayas Many readers will remember previous articles about the amazing Rachael Moseley and her family – Rachael lives in Patterdale and had completed three Coast to Coast walks before she was nine years of age, all of them with the purpose of raising money for Patterdale MRT.

Striding Edge Photo: John Williams

As if that wasn’t enough, Rachael and her Dad, Ian, have set themselves another Triple Challenge for 2015 but, as Simon and Lindsay from the Packhorse holiday transport company have written on the Moseley’s Just Giving Page “We’re afraid our minibuses don’t run as far as your new destinations.”

sidering the ascent via Striding Edge? xperienced and weakest members of your

ather in the valley – wind conditions, especially,

drink that you’d need if something went wrong ty of spare clothing to keep you warm if you e party. o have crampons and an ice axe and to know may be clear but the Edges will be much colder your route.

ainrescue.org.uk for latest call out information and Team news

Now 11, Rachael has already completed the first of these new challenges, walking Hadrian’s Wall in the Easter school holidays, but she’s planning to go further afield in the coming months. In August, she’s off to Iceland to complete the volcanic trails and, if all goes well after the dreadful recent earthquakes in Nepal, a trek in the Annapurna region is on the cards for October. That will be 28 days of her school holidays dedicated to fundraising and exploring in 2015.

“This girl just loves life outdoors,” says Ian Moseley, “and most of the Triple Challenge was her idea. I’ll be matching what she raises and giving that to Patterdale School so that we can spread the benefits.”

Rachael has her own website, www.rachaelexplore. com, where you can find out more about her adventures, follow her blog and even purchase fundraising Explore Rachael clothing and gifts – with £1 to the Team for each item sold.

Or, if you’d like to make a donation, Ian and Rachael have a Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/Ian-Moseley2/. Thanks, Rachael, and enjoy those remaining challenges.

New Chair of Trustees

PATRICK RELAY l Summer 2015

Lots of new Friends and Followers The Team relaunched its Twitter feed and set up a new Facebook Page a few months ago and we’ve been stunned by the obvious interest and support from so many people.

Mike Blakey, our Team Leader, is responsible for most of our posts on social media: “As Patrick Relay goes to press, we have over 4000 Likes on Facebook and about 1600 Followers on Twitter,” he says.

“Even allowing for a lot of volunteers in other Teams following each other’s news, this still means that there are a lot of people out there with an interest in what we do here in Patterdale and it’s been really encouraging to read some of the comments and appreciative postings.”

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Social media offers new opportunities to build links and connections and Mike and our new Fundraising Officer, Nigel Harling, are keen to convert some of those Likes and Follows into more active fundraising support.

“If just a small percentage of those people were willing to join the Supporters’ Club, we’d really boost our fundraising and could be sure of that regular level of support as we plan our activities, training and equipment purchases in the months ahead.”

So, if you’re reading this as a Supporter and know someone who’s following the Team on social media, please let them know about the Supporters’ Club and remind them that they can join via the website at www.mountainrescue.org. uk/join-our-supporters-club.

A familiar face and name has taken over from John Williams as Chair of our Patterdale Mountain Rescue Association Trustees. Jacquie Freeborn – long-time Fundraising Officer, Base Controller and, of course, wife of Dave – took over from John at the Association’s AGM in late April. The ViceChair is now Gillian Mininch and, with the resignation of Steve Howe and Lindsay Scott as Trustees, Sean Duffy and Nigel Harling have joined the committee.

Patterdale MR Team members have been actively involved in the creation of a national awareness and fundraising campaign for Mountain Rescue England and Wales .

Dave Freeborn (of Viscom Studios Ltd) won the tender to produce a six-minute promotional film and, after shooting in over a dozen locations with rescuers from teams across the country, the film was launched online just ahead of the Easter weekend.

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Articles for Relay We are always looking for interesting articles or letters from supporters. Please write c/o Patrick Relay Editor, Ogilvie House, Patterdale, Cumbria CA11 0PJ The Patterdale Mountain Rescue Association Ltd. is a registered charity No1063329 and is affiliated to the Mountain Rescue Council of England and Wales.