Wasdale MRT
2009:47 12/07/09 (9.58 a.m.) - Saturday
‘999’ call from a male walker who was reported as crag fast on Kirk Fell Crags. The team were already on their way out for a crag training full day practice so attended quickly. 8 team members were involved. Whilst approaching Blacksail on their way to Kirk Fell Crags, the team received a second callout for a male in his 50s who had a suspected broken collar bone in Little Narrow Cove, Upper Eskdale. 6 team members turned round and ran back down for this second more urgent incident. Cockermouth MRT were asked to support the two Wasdale MRT who completed the crag fast incident and then also made their way to the Eskdale incident. Incident closed around 12.00 p.m.
On yesterdays attempt at activating Pillar/Kirk Fell & Great Gable I unfortunately got stuck on a ledge on Kirk Fell Crag while attempting to scirt an area of scree on a steep slope. The consequences were that I could go no further up the crag and found the slope, wet slippy grass and crumbling rock so dangerous to descend/ascend that I required assistance to get back down. My mobile phone showed NO NETWORK and no answer to my whistle blasts, I therefore set up the VX-170 and rucksack Special, no room for 2m dipole to be deployed and resorted to 2m FM to call for assistance on S20. Eventually after many calls Arthur G0AUG answered my call and took all relevent information from me initially contacting the police who in turn contacted the MRT. Arthur joined by John G0TDM continued to monitor S20 keeping in contact with myself and the MRT and relaying important information. Eventually a two man team from the MRT arrived and belayed me down. The MRT leader stated that I had done the right thing in staying put on this treacherous slope given conditions and that with procedures carried out at the incident location and by Arthur and John, it was a text book incident rescue. I would personally like to thank Arthur and John and of course the lads of the MRT. It is gratifying to know that when in difficulty on a mountain etc, radio amatuers are monitoring the relevent frequencies and more than happy to assist and that the volunteer MRT exists for our benefit.
Ian 2E0EDX