Kinder Mountain Rescue Team

Sunday 19th June

Member of Parliament for High Peak, Andrew Bingham, joined members of Kinder Mountain Rescue Team today for one of their frequent training exercises, coupled with the Team also providing safety cover for today’s Kinder Trog Fell Race.

Andrew was assigned to join a hill party, transporting all the ‘heavy’ equipment up the long stretch from Coldwell Clough to Edale Cross. He was able to experience first-hand the work done by the team.

One of the main purposes of the day was a detailed communications exercise, following on from last Wednesdays formal session. Newer members were encouraged to take up the microphone and we had two probationary members, assisted by a full member, running the ‘link’ station from their blustery perch atop Mount Famine. Some 181 runners started the fell race, with very few retiring early and everyone being accounted for. Two runners were treated for minor injuries back at the Scout Hut in Hayfield by team member Mike Chetham.

A very successful day all round (including our ‘sheepish’ Team Leader getting a “Kinder Kiss” from one local hill resident, whose only comment afterwards was “Bahhhhhh”).

Paul Mann
Base Manager, KMRT

Typically the weather was looking set to cancel our scheduled helicopter training. This time, we had a mixture of experience, new and probationary members going to RAF Leconfield (as the last 5 or more attempts have been cancelled due to RAF Search and Rescue operations or extreme weather). As we got nearer to Leconfield, the rain was pouring down. The groans of disappointment were beginning to resonate in the minibus.

Luckily, after our aircraft familiarisation/safety briefing the weather had changed for the better, and it was looking good for some flying and winching practice.

The helicopters rotors were turning, the first stick was edging closer to the door, helmets on ready to get out onto the pad when right on cue, the OP’s room radio and crash phone kicked into life. It was a possible shout for Rescue 128. read more…

On Sunday 1st May 2011, Kinder Mountain Rescue Team will officially reach it’s 40th Birthday.

Team records indicate this was the date that KMRT was created from the Sett Valley Mountain Rescue Team and the Goyt Search and Rescue Team. To find out more about the history of the team click here

In the best traditions of the team, a birthday pint was had by those at the  Team Meeting on Friday 29th April.

Howard Taylor, Deputy Team Leader

If you go into the woods today

Mist, drizzle and low cloud rolled over Windgather Rocks as I approached the remote RV (rendez-vous point) for today’s exercise. Not quite the weather I had ordered (thick fog, torrential rain) but it would be sufficient to set the mood for the day.

The scenario for today’s exercise was a straight forward MISPER (missing person) search. But as I’m not one for making it easy I threw in dense forest with lashings of steep hilly terrain for added interest.

As the team arrived and search parties formed, the exercise story unfolded. A local middle aged female suffering stress and depression with a history of drug and alcohol use had gone missing some 36 hrs earlier. Other teams had been out searching prior to Kinder’s deployment. The area Kinder had been tasked to search would prove tough going for the limited resources available, but hopefully we’d be successful. read more…