About Mountain Rescue Mountain Rescue covers all mountain, fell and moorland areas of the UK.  It operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  The vast majority of the service is undertaken by a network of trained volunteers. Mountain Rescue helicopter in action LINKS Mountain Rescue Website Lake District Search & Mountain Rescue Association National Search and Rescue Dog Association BBC News article - Busiest year for mountain teams Mountain Rescue in England & Wales relies heavily on public support.  Why not pop a couple of pound coins into the collection box next time you see one on the counter of your favourite outdoor store.

British mountains, fells and moors may seem quite tame compared with other upland and mountainous areas such as the Alps, but they can be killers without proper care.  Even lowland areas pose their danger with incidents of walkers getting trampled by cows on the increase.

Each year a number of people are tragically killed on our upland areas in pursuit of their recreation.  More worringly, this number seems to be on the increase in recent years, perhaps due in part to popular television programmes.

Mountain Rescue are reporting a year on year increase in their attendance to incidents^[1] , many of which are entirely preventable.  There are many reports of people being inadequately equipped or prepared for the conditions.  These often avoidable situations tie up resources that might otherwise be needed for a genuine emergency such as a fall, slip or sudden illness.

By taking into consideration such things as the weather forecast, sunset time, navigational ability and terrain you can take suitable precautions to help minimise the risk to both yourself and others who might have to end up rescuing you.  See the Walk Grading page for information relating to walks published on this website.

Walking in Mountainous & Upland Areas

The following points cover the minimum precautions you should take if you want to help avoid getting hurt or lost, or in the event of an accident, to minimise further harm.  A complete list of sensible precautions is available on the Mountain Rescue website.

• Stay within your ability, or that of the least able of the group
• Check the weather forecast and local conditions before setting off
• Wear suitable footwear and clothing - remember that it is usually always colder at higher altitudes so don't forget to pack spare warm clothing, including hats and gloves if necessary.  Do not underestimate the affects of windchill.
  
• Ensure you take enough food and water, plus some high-energy snacks (chocolate, dried fruit, cereal bars etc) for an emergency
• A torch, spare batteries, first aid kit, whistle and emergency shelter are wise items to take
• Do not rely on your mobile telephone as reception can be very patchy or non-existant
• Do not rely on solely a GPS device - ensure you have the appropriate map for the area and a compass and that you know how to use them
• If walking alone consider leaving details of your route and estimated arrival time with somebody
• Be prepared to turn back if conditions are against you - even if this upsets your plan.

You may find these two short videos worth watching:



As a rule of thumb^[2] , for every 1000 feet (300m) above sea level, the temperature drops by 2°C.  The BBC Weather website has some useful information about understanding weather conditions.

Cows and Calves

Cows with young calves are particularly wary and very protective of their young - especially if you are walking with a dog.  The following advice is from the NFU website:

"Our advice to walkers is if you have a dog with you, keep it under close control, but do not hang on to it should a cow or bull start acting aggressively. If you feel threatened, just carry on as normal, do not run, move to the edge of the field and if possible find another way round the field, returning to the original path as soon as is possible. And remember to close the gate."






References