General News Stories - Past and Present - Updated 8th December 2003
They had watched rescue No. 25 from the safety of Scafell Summit, rescue No.26 was happening whilst they descended but 1 hour later they became No. 27 - see callout details
The faces behind the names - who are those people you met on the rescue? What do they do when they are not rescuing? How long have they been around? Over the next few months we will add pictures of the team members who previously have just been names on a list - see members page and follow the links in the yellow box or click here - note more pictures will be added as permissions are sought and granted.
The pillar is still there but looking worse for wear and not a pleasant place to be. see new photos
The 106th anniversary event celebrated with another massive auction of outdoor gear. Over £6,000 raised towards team funds. And yet another rescue took place on the day of the auction. Auction shots here.
The second annual race in support of fundraising for the team was a great success - see here for race results and some interesting pics
The team responded to 8 incidents in a 7 day period starting and finishing with a broken ankle - photgraphs taken during the rescue are being provided shortly and will be linked here - see rescue narratives
Following a cheque presentation by Rotary of Whitehaven on 17th June , Richard Longman finally takes possession of the new Landrover on 20 June 2003. - see photos
Across in 25 minutes to support local charities - see photos
A great success for the County and Mountain Rescue - over 5,000 extra visitors to the county - see photos
On Saturday 28/7/01, Phil Lamport proposed to his fiancée Imogen on the summit of Great Gable (see below). We have recently received an email from Phil which said.....
"I'm not sure who from your Rescue
team was present on the above date, when I proposed to my Wife but, I just
thought that I would let you all know that we are Married, living in
Melbourne, and that we have had a Son
(Aston) who just turned One Year Old last week. We
think it is great that we are on your website & we have sent the link
to loads of people over the past 2 years. It was a fantastic setting for a
once-in-a-lifetime moment, we will remember it always.
All the best to all of your team,
Phil & Imogen Lamport."
All of us in the Wasdale Team would like to wish Aston a belated Happy Birthday. Perhaps he would like to become a supporter of the Team Phil. Now you can have a family memebrship!
The original entry was........
The first time in 30 years of ascending Gable that I see someone proposing. The couple below carried the ballons up from the bottom and, as we were wondering whether it was her birthday, he dropped to one knee and spoke those magic words - the answer was positive and a great round of applause went up from the 30 people sat in the sunshine on top of Great Gable. Ahhhhh.............
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They plan to get married next year in Australia. Is this the first time the summit cairn has been built up with ballons? |
- After last years massive success for team fundraising last year supported by the festival - it now continues across the county with £24,000 invested by the Rural Development Programme into MRT activities (£20,000 last year) - Wasdale MRT has received it's fair share with it's £2,500 support towards our fundraising activities last year, and now a further £2,800 for the forthcoming Easter fortnight - for details of events see here
Mickledore Stretcher Box gets a face-LIFT - 9th February 2003
- After years of service in the most inhospitable location the RAF at Boulmer come to the rescue - photos here
- This dangerous but very popular rake is now regarded by many as lethal following the rock fall reported 5th December (see below). The Wasdale Team Leader was on Border TV's Lookaround 30th December and various local papers and radio were reporting the dangerous state of the Rake. A cautious ascent / descent may minimise the danger but will not remove it - the rake is now on the move - dozens of large rock fragments and boulders have crashed down, coming to rest as far down as the memorial cross - see updated picture notes plus extra photos added 12/12/02 plus article from Whitehaven News added 1/1/03 plus most recent photos 5/1/03
- Stephen and Saffron's Walter's trainee Search Dog Rosie receives a national award for a lifesaving animal rescue. For details of the story and full size picture, click on the small picture.
- Message from Richard Longman, our Treasurer and
organiser of the day - "A big
thank you to everyone who helped on Saturday (and the dogs). We collected
£1371.72 in Whitehaven and £149.43 in Egremont. A grand total of:
£1521.15
well done and thank you!
- This dangerous but very popular rake is now regarded as lethal following another rock-fall. A cautious ascent /descent may minimise the danger but will not remove it - the rake is now on the move - at least a dozen rock fragments the size of your computer screen have crashed down, coming to rest as far down as the memorial cross - see updated picture notes plus extra photos added 12/12/02 plus article from Whitehaven News added 1/1/03
- The Party was a great success with over 100 people attending the RAF MRT lecture on the ascent of Everest 2001. for photos see here
- The Auction raised £10,000 for the team including £1,000 for the raffle. for photos see here
- The show, first since August 2000 due to F & M outbreak, was an ideal opportunity to promote mountain safety and the existence of the team as a community service to the area. Just under £200 raised towards the new vehicle.
For photos of the event see here
- Tracey Binks organised a full weekends activities as part of the Year of the Mountain. Nearly £500 was raised.
For photos of the event see here
- Paul Cook and Stephen Walter climb the Needle, recognised as the birthplace of the sport of rock climbing. Part of the Cumbrian Mountain Festival 2002 .
For photos of the climb see here
- the Tourism Minister, Dr. Kim Howells MP visits the Lake District in support of the Cumbrian Mountain Festival 2002 - Keswick MRT and Cockermouth MRT host the visit ....photos
- the RAF helicopter came across to help with the exercise - we arranged John Jones ,Seascale to take some team photos .....photographs
- the helicopter is in the lakes this weekend for familiarisation training with all the Lakes teams.
photographs of the Cockermouth / Wasdale session at West Cumberland Hospital helipad
- immediately following the opening at Rheged, Wasdale MRT opens up it's rescue headquarters.
further details and for photographs
- part of the United Nations International Year of Mountains. Massive Mountain Rescue contribution across the 13 teams in the Lake district.... for further details and for photographs
- an article on the team and what to do if you come across an accident on the hills.... see here
- Where do you go for snow in winter when you need to brush up on snow belays.... see photos here
- Wasdale Head Hotel - A great evenings entertainment and social following a day's grueling practice with the RAF Search and Rescue team, RAF Boulmer, North East of England. see photos here
- A Fell Race which was developed to suit all ages and levels of fitness was held 12/1/02 - Middle Fell Race + evening entertainment at the Screes Pub, Nether Wasdale . Event organised by Jenny Watson. Member of the team. Supported by Nick and Rachel Putnam, owners of the Screes pub.
£367 was raised towards the £30,000 vehicle appeal - see photos here
Pre race details see here
- The LDSAMRA teams finally received the green light of support for next years year of the mountain programme. Wasdale MRT will therefore now receive 50% funding towards the anticipated costs for the exhibitions scheduled for next year. The remainder will be found from other sources. See details ........here
- A fantastic day of support from the communities of Whitehaven, Egremont and surrounding areas. Early indications are that we will have raised at least £1,400 - we will firm up on the figure when our treasurer, Richard Longman finishes counting the pennies today. Photos of the day here
Actual sum collected was £1471
- Photos of the recent full day search practice click here
- A regular event on a wind swept summit in the Lakes - 2 minutes of silence then back down before it gets too cold
- Following a dramatic rescue of one of their employees on Scafell Pike in April 2000, the rescued walker raised nearly £700 through the Guardian (now Axa / Aegon UK) Insurance Sports and Social Club. See the incident details under callouts and also the true story. See below for the photographs taken when the cheque was presented to Deputy Team Leader, Mike Greene at the Gosforth base by Geoff Hayman and Peter Jones (Chairman of the Axa / Aegon UK Sports Club based at Lytham St. Annes).
The record of this incident can be viewed
by doubling clicking
here...No.17 - 10 April 2000 
- For the first time in 20 years, a slight modification to the standard compass will allow walkers a much better chance of getting it right first time.
- The first time in 30 years of ascending Gable that I see someone proposing. The couple below carried the ballons up from the bottom and, as we were wondering whether it was her birthday, he dropped to one knee and spoke those magic words - the answer was positive and a great round of applause went up from the 30 people sat in the sunshine on top of Great Gable. Ahhhhh.............
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They plan to get married next year in Australia. Is this the first time the summit cairn has been built up with ballons? |
- Useful tips for those who like the great outdoors and willing to experiment.
http://www.news~tips~to~make~life~easy
- Article written by the team's science officer following a training exercise in Mosedale on the flanks of Red Pike (Wasdale) on Sunday, December 10th 2000
http://www.news~stretcherlift~helium
- Article in the Yorkshire County Evening Press, Saturday, June 24th 2000
http://www. runner_saved_peaks_drama.htm
- Article in the Whitehaven News, 27th April 2000
http://www. rescue_team_in_three_callouts.htm
- Article in the Whitehaven News, 30th March 2000 - http://www.busy_time_for_rescue_team.htm
- Article on the Team's headquarters extensions - Dr. Jack Cunningham MP opens the refurbished base - http://www.cumbriapages.co.uk/A1e5t5.htm - published 18/04/98
Some of the Wasdale Team members after a full
days practice on the Screes - the practice was filmed by the BBC2 team and shown
on Focus up North, late 1999. The boat is a godsend when you need to
either search the Screes path at night or indeed to recover a casualty from the
far shore - the boat can get the advance group across the Wasdale Lake in just
45 seconds.......it beats walking any day.
The team were exercising on the Lake and the Screes again on Sunday 19th March when we were involved in a joint exercise with the RAF Leeming Mountain Rescue Team who are based at North Allerton, North Yorkshire. The days events went well and taxed both teams fully - if you want to read the exercise brief and see some of the pictures taken on the day
Leeming Exercise
- Sunday 19 Mar 2000
Bill Pattison (middle) receives
a framed painting of Napes Needle, Great Gable from fellow
team members after 20 years as Team Leader, and nearly 30
years in the team. The gift was presented to Bill by Dave
Fryer, Chairman at the annual post-christmas dinner . The
dinner was held at the Wasdale Head Inn on 21st January 2000.
Bill will remain actively involved in team affairs as the
newly elected President. Bill has handed over the leadership
to Julian Carradice (to the left), also a team member for over 20 years and
a Deputy Team Leader for the last 8 years.