UKC

Trying to get in touch with Jim from Lancaster AKA the demon head hugger... so can start to arrange the return of your jacket from casualty in the accident in Brown Cove Crags today. My number is 07515716001...I'm in touch with the those concerned.
S

In reply to simondgee:

Best wishes to the casualty for a speedy recovery. Sounds like there was a great team effort in the rescue.

http://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2015/01/22/injured-climber-airlifted-after...

Any idea which route he was on? Not looking for a forensic examination but there will be many climbing there this weekend and I'll be there on Tuesday so if it was something to do with conditions it would be useful.

....and have a bump at the same time.

In reply to RedFive:
We were there about 30mins after the accident, and the guy was being attended to at the bottom of Broad Gully by Mountain Rescue who fortunately were in the area at the time.
Conditions were very good yesterday so I don't think they will be a contributing factor.

images from yesterday on the crag at

http://paulhorsmanphotographer.blogspot.co.uk

In reply to paulh.0776:

Cheers Paul, cracking pictures as always. You did the route I'm planning for on Tuesday, hope it stays in that condition as I'm only just starting to get out of Grade I gullies so that looks to be perfect. I'll continue this on Lakes winter cond...page......

As before, best wishes for speedy recovery to the casualty.

In reply to simondgee:
I believe the lad fell off the little chimney half way up right buttress crack and gear ripped. Hope he's ok and makes a full recovery.

In reply to RedFive:
If your just doing grade 1 routes, that one is a little harder than that at the moment, also it can be tricky to find a good main belay for the last snow pitch to finish.
Summer step is probably easier and with good belays all the way up.
I did both with my girlfriend earlier this week.

In reply to simondgee:

The fall occurred in the location where Wesley says...and it was an axe popping gear ripping incident resulting in a 20M groundfall. We had literally just arrived at the foot of the gully as it happened so were able to help (I am in MR). The 2 climbers are very competent and the conditions on the crag were perfect...belays may take a little cleaning out.

You can see all the entertainment here :
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.772336449516405.1073741826.121229...

The casualty was assessed and managed according to his injuries which were ultimately no more than severe concussion. This presented itself with acute neck pain and sternal chest pains...not a surprise from 20Metres...but sufficiently concerning! He trended downward (neurologically) with 'challenging' behaviour (confused/agitated/disoriented).
Another climber Jim helped management head hugging (and its Jims spare jacket trying to get back to him). Keswick team and heli arrived about 60 minutes after he accident. Fortunately like many MR I tend to carry unnecessary evils in the sack that prove handy....and at times necessary. It was great to see Keswick pop up the same time as Rescue 177. Keswick had been out on a night search for 2 who had got lost on Great end and gone into Eskdale in error.
We still got our route done. Congrats to Paul my 'blind date' climbing partner for the day off UKC for mucking in and a great days climbing. Casualty is all good.

In reply to simondgee:

Fortunately like many MR I tend to carry unnecessary evils in the sack that prove handy....and at times necessary.

morphine? (or flares)

In reply to wiwwim:

Since you ask..specifically..we only carry Morphine and other CD's on shouts...but personal kit includes a pretty comprehensive First Aid Kit e.g. airways in 3 forms Guedal OP, NP airways and I Gels OP's. Stuff that keeps someone alive until evacuation. Smoke...don't really use flares (though just shoved one in until i replace the smoke used on Thursday).
Ironically today we were out doing some team Ava winter skills stuff at Red Tarn when we got asked to dob back over the to same spot on Brown Cove Crags to support Keswick MRT for an incident today. Seeing folks on Swirral when we headed back without any winter kit beggars belief...already 2 bodies there this year... Im sure i was watching evolution in action.

In reply to simondgee:

http://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2015/01/24/two-winter-climbers-injured-in-...

In reply to simondgee:

Can I just say, on behalf of all of us who frequent the hills, thank you to you and all who volunteer to be on call for MR, and who are equally willing to dive in and make a difference when just out enjoying your own time in the hills, as you are to go out in whatever conditions necessary on a call out.

In reply to simondgee:

Well, yes, a heartfelt thanks to Mountain Rescue peeps. Money in the next collecting box I see.

In reply to Chris_Mellor:


Perhaps a good moment to suggest people could give a more regular -eg quarterley direct debit to a MRT of their choice. I'm sure if lots of folk just gave £20 A year it would make a massive difference. As the Scots say, many a mickle makes a muckle.

In reply to Rog Wilko:

or basecamp http://www.mountain.rescue.org.uk/basecamp/

In reply to Rog Wilko:
Having known the secretary of KMRT, I understand they are not short of money, equipment or volunteers. In fact they struggle to spend the funds they accumulate. Have a look what CMRT started with in 1953 and compare that to two helicopters out on Saturday.
http://www.cockermouthmrt.org.uk/documents/CMRT_60years.pdf
If there was any shortage of volunteers or funds, more local climbers would be in the teams and we would be practicing more often than going out climbing! We would rescue our own, no question.

In reply to Removed User:

However, to a large extent, it's having that relatively secure financial position (which is mainly thanks to massive local support) and lots of competent local climbers to join that have allowed teams like Keswick and Cockermouth (and plenty of others) to push things forward so it's not still just like 1953.....

In reply to Carolyn:


Not sure what your point is - it's not like 1953 because they now have loads of money, equipment and volunteers.

In reply to Removed User:

I thought your reply to Rog was suggesting that (some) teams didn't really need donations; I was attempting to make that point that regular donations do help those teams to maintain a healthy financial position, and that allows team members to put more energy into developing new kit and techniques so that things keep moving forwards, rather than having to invest all their time and effort in fundraising.

And there are certainly teams in other parts of the country (and less busy parts of the Lakes) that aren't in such a comfortable position.

In reply to Carolyn:



hence my link to basecamp which distributes money across teams

In reply to Carolyn:


Obviously teams need donations!
My point was that they currently get (the busier teams) more than they can spend.
So long as they keep it voluntary like lifeboats it will be fine.

In reply to Removed User:
I'm not on KMRT and we don.t have the same resources so you can donate to us Text KSMR44 £5 (or £1, £2, £10) to 70070

The reality is all teams are individual entities (usually charities) and funding for the majority is an issue ...in our case our own team members stand with buckets for hours every year to raise the £25-£30K operating costs of the team On Thursday the personal cost was a blizzard blanket and a team smoke (£35-£40 total) the team will reimburse me that but it it equates to 1 person standing for about 1.5 hour at Tebay services...so i will pay for it several times over I guess!

Central lakes teams like KMRT, CMRT and LAMRT tend to get more bequests and do have better balance sheets
As charities they cant give money away to other teams...but across the board they support the other teams taking on intra team costs and making sure equipment hand me downs work.
I am currently trying to raise £1K purely to ensure everyone of our members has airways (£25 set each member)...not because they might use them in MR but because they probably use them when they encounter a car crash or a serious incident in their village...and they will save a life. This resilience and good Samaritan stuff we do is constantly increasing as the mainline emergency services are trimmed back more and more in rural areas.