Rescue at Broad Crag, Wasdale

Monday 28 March 2005

5/10:28/3/05 (4.30 pm) - Sunday

The Team was paged by Workington to rescue a male walker in his late thirties who had become cragfast whilst descending Scafell Pike.  He was on a mobile phone and through a description of his location along with a grid reference, it placed in him the region of Dropping Crag on the northern side of the mountain.  He had been stuck there since mid afternoon.  Around 18 team members were involved, 10 on the mountain and the remainder in reserve.  The Dropping Crag area was thoroughly searched with no find.  Broad Crag was then searched which can sometimes be mistaken for Scafell Pike.  Further information was sought from the cragfast walker and eventually, by piecing it all together and getting further information from the police regarding two walkers who were watching a man waving for help, the man was found by one of the team members.  He was high on Broad Crag, north face and around 200 foot above the old plane crash site.  The weather was initially clear at his location but it then came in whilst we were lowering him down the crags and visibilty reduced to 30 yards.  The ground was very steep, slippery and there were many loose boulders.  However, within a relatively short period he was back down onto safer ground and walked off to Brackenclose.  It was 9.30 pm when the team finally checked in at the Wasdale Head Hotel for rehydration. 

Jake and Tim approaching the base of the crag with the grassy slopes below which run down to the Corridor route and then onto Styhead Pass
The cragfast walker is a male in his mid thirties who has made his way down the northern face of Broad Crag until he could safely descend no more.  He is located centre right and about 200 feet above me.  You can just make out the other team members who are already with him.  This is very treacherous ground.
	The above photo but zoomed in onto the location.  The walker has a red team helmet on.
Looking up at the last steep gulley to where he is located.  The cloud has now come in and visibility reduced to 100 yds.
Not the easiest ground to climb, wet and slippery with the extreme danger of falling rocks.  Helmets are an essential bit of equipment for self protection.
Pete Baines and walker being lowered from above on separate climbing ropes
	With fading light, poor visibilty and not the easiest stance for taking a photograph, the quality of my shots are pretty poor
Down onto relatively safe ground, the ropes are removed and we are all getting away quickly from the rock fall line.
The site of the old crashed aircraft on Broad Crag - remnant from the last war in 1940
Safely back down at Brackenclose where the new, temporary bailey bridge is being built to make way for a replacement for the weak road bridge.  Julian has picked up some more overdue walkers on the way down who were concerned about getting back to the YHA before it closed at 10.00 pm - we gave then a lift back down the valley.
Re-hydration exercise at the Wasdale Head Hotel - the reflective strips on Pete's jacket are great for team identification on the fell but pretty useless when trying to get a photo decent photo in the bar.  Another job well done by the lads.