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Edale Mountain Rescue Team

Team History & Milestones

1925 Initially mountain rescue in Derbyshire was an ad hoc affair as described in this contemporary account.

An incident on 4th January 1925, when James Evans was reported missing on Kinder was dealt with in the following way. An appeal was placed in the Manchester Guardian for experienced ramblers to attend meeting points in Glossop, Hayfield and Edale. The Edale team would be led by the president of the Rucksack Club, the police and Manchester Rambling Club would run operations from Hayfield. Searchers were allowed cheap tickets on trains between Manchester, London Road and Glossop or Hayfield. The newspaper’s special correspondent in Hayfield reported. There is a need for a co ordinated rescue scheme supervised by the police. Mr Evans' body was eventually found on the 10th January. The coroner recorded exposure as the cause of death.

1928 Organised mountain rescue in England can be said to have started in the Peak District following an accident in 1928 on Laddow Rocks near Black Hill, which resulted in the amputation of the casualty's leg.

However, it was not the accident which made the amputation necessary but the evacuation, carried out using an improvised stretcher made from a farm gate.

This incident resulted in the formation of a committee to design a stretcher and ultimately led to the formation of the Mountain Rescue Committee, which became the Mountain Rescue Council and is now Mountain Rescue England & Wales.

1951 - Peak Park formed with Warden Service. Fred Heardman, landlord of Nag's Head and Peak Park Planning Board Member acted as rescue co-ordinator.

1951 When the Peak National Park was formed in 1951, agreement was reached with moorland owners to allow access onto Kinder, Bleaklow and Black Hill. As part of this agreement a Warden Service was established, mainly on a voluntary basis, to patrol the moors and assist with any incidents. It was logical that rescue would form part of the wardens' duties and Fred Heardman, who was a member of the Peak Park Planning Board and landlord of the Nag's Head at Edale, was the obvious choice as co ordinator.

1955 - September, Rescue Post established in Nag's Head.

1955 In September 1955, a rescue post was established in the Nag's Head and the first "Edale" mountain rescue exercise took place on February 20th, 1956. This was a practice in stretcher carrying on the southern slopes of Kinder Scout. In 1959, the current visitor centre at Fieldhead was purchased as a base for the Warden Service. The mountain rescue post was re established at Fieldhead and George Garlick, living at Fieldhead as Chief Warden, became Edale Team Leader.

1956 - February 20th, First "Edale" mountain rescue exercise.

1959 - Rescue Post re established at Fieldhead. George Garlick, living at Fieldhead as Chief Warden, became Edale Team Leader

1964 - Four Inns Walk Tragedy.

1964 September 26th - Peak District Mountain Rescue Organisation formed.

1964 In 1964 two incidents occurred which would have a major impact on mountain rescue in the Peak District. Two climbers were killed in an avalanche in Wilderness Gully, Chew Valley in the north of the Peak District National Park. Then three participants in the Four Inns Walk became lost on Bleaklow and died of exposure. Although they were in fairly accessible areas, it took five hours to evacuate one person, who later died, and two others were missing for two days. This led to a review of mountain rescue in the Peak District and as a result the Peak District Mountain Rescue Organisation (PDMRO) was formed on September 26th 1964.

In the early seventies there was still considerable concern about the lack of efficiency of teams and low standards. As a result, an assessment of teams was undertaken which resulted in the amalgamation of some teams and a rise in standards.

1975 - Review and amalgamation of teams to improve standards.

1975 Amongst the new teams formed in 1975 was Woodhead Mountain Rescue Team. The Woodhead Team operated as three geographically based sections until October 1994 when the southernmost Sheffield section was integrated into Edale Mountain Rescue Team. The two other sections continued and today Woodhead is a thriving member of the PDMRO.

1992 - Purchased Derwent Mobile, a yellow Ford Transit van, affectionately know as the custard bus.

1994 - PDMRO Review

1994 - October, Sheffield section of Woodhead Mountain Rescue Team joined Edale Mountain Rescue Team.

1994 - Land Rover 110 donated by Severn Trent, Derwent Mobile One. The custard bus became Derwent Mobile Two. First uniform purchased by team members, with a subsidy from the team. Pager contract started.

1994 This reorganisations to form a stronger, more effective Edale Team, was instigated by the 1994 PDMRO review because of the large amount of overlap between the two team's operational areas and the residence of team members.

Edale Team in now one of seven in the PDMRO, the others being Buxton, Derby, Glossop, Kinder, Oldham and Woodhead.

The Team continues its association with the Peak Park Ranger Service, some of our current members being Rangers. However it is no longer a requirement for membership and with the team getting busier, it becomes increasingly difficult to take on both roles.

1998 - Custard bus replaced by a new LDV van, which became Derwent Mobile Two.

2002 - June 9th, LDV Crew Bus replaced by a Land Rover 110 donated to us by Keswick Mountain Rescue Team. The new Derwent Mobile Two. In turn we donated our LDV Crew Bus to North of Tyne Search and Rescue Team.

2004 - March, Land Rover 110 replaced by a brand new vehicle. The new Derwent Mobile One. The old Land Rover was given to Cornwall Rescue Group who refitted it and still have it in active service.

2004 - August 20th, Planning permission received for changing rooms and rescue facility on Bamford recreation ground.

2006 - April, DM2, the Landrover given to us by Keswick MRT completes a major overhaul to give us 3 vehicles

2007 - July, The team moved into our new purpose built base on the Lafarge Cement Works in Hope.

2008 - The 4th incarnation of DM2, a Land Rover 110 arrives and the old vehicle goes to Glossop Mountain Rescue Team.

The Edale Team Continued...