without a mountain rescue call-out 2018 & 2019 4
Mountain rescue has been a partner in the campaign to #BeAdventureSmart for over two years now, working with national park authorities, tourism organisations and lots of other outdoors organisations to educate the public in how to ‘make a good day better ’ by being better prepared.
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In 2017, MREW teams covering key outdoor adventure areas recorded a rapid rise in call-outs. From 2016 to 2017, North Wales saw a 23% rise from 470 to 580 with one team passing 200 call-outs over the year. In 2017, Lake District teams dealt with 543 incidents — 25% up on 2016 (436). It was recognised that the only way of reducing call-outs, assuming that the numbers of people going to the hills would continue to rise, was to tackle the significant number of so-called ‘avoidable’ call-outs. #BeAdventureSmart launched in Wales in 2018 before rolling out in the Lake District and is gradually being picked up by other regions. ‘Avoidable’ is defined
as those call-outs resulting from being lost or overdue as a result of inadequate preparation and research (eg. weather), or not having the right equipment (eg. a torch) or necessary skills (eg. navigation). There are three key questions at the heart of the campaign: • Do I have the right gear? • Do I know what the weather will be like? • Am I confident that I have the knowledge and skills for the day? The emphasis now is very much on communication and education to get people thinking before they set off into the outdoors. ‘It’s easy to reach those who are
already engaged with mountain rescue or experienced walkers and climbers,’ says MREW SEO, Mike France. ‘The challenge is to communicate with families and other groups who just want a good day out. Gradually, we’re finding ways to get to those who just visit our national parks for a holiday or short break and might decide to climb a hill as a last minute decision — it’ll take time and we need to work with accommodation providers and lots of other partners, but we’re in it for the long term.’
ADVENTURE SMART WALES (OR MENTRO’N GALL CYMRU) Adventure Smart Wales was launched in March 2018 as a pan-Wales initiative aiming to promote the safe enjoyment of Wales’s natural outdoor resources, part-funded by the Welsh Government with additional contributions from Snowdonia National Park Authority, British Mountaineering Council, Welsh Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Welsh Sports Association. The Welsh mountain rescue regions were also involved as partners alongside outdoors organisations such as National Trust Cymru, Welsh Cycling, the Royal Yachting Association and the RNLI. The campaign’s message was simple: come and enjoy the iconic and beautiful Welsh countryside and coast but take a little time to plan your day. ‘The emphasis is very much about making a good day better,’ says Phil Benbow, Llanberis MR team member and former chairman of North Wales Mountain Rescue Association (NWMRA). ‘We’re not criticising or dictating but working together to reach as many visitors as we can. We want to give them the sort of advice that will make them more self- reliant and better prepared for the outdoors.’
#BEADVENTURESMART: LOOK OUT FOR THE LEAFLET The idea for a public safety information
leaflet was developed in 2010, with support from Cicerone Press and, with a national version created in 2017, around 200,000 have now been distributed in England and Wales. The focus on planning and preparation is consistent with the #BeAdventureSmart campaign. Nick Owen of Langdale Ambleside MRT has led this for the Lake District teams. ‘It’s about encouraging people to enjoy the mountains by planning and being prepared. If we can just get people to think about key things before they set off, they can keep themselves safe and we can reduce the number of avoidable call-outs that are putting our voluntary service under growing pressure.’ Please look out for the leaflet in hotels, tourist information centres and outdoor shops, and support MREW by passing on the #BeAdventureSmart messages.
Opposite page: A Cockermouth team member abseils down to a seriously injured casualty on Pillar Rock © Cockermouth MRT.
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