19th June 2011 Incident 51 - Crowden Brook

Dear Edale Mountain Rescue Team,
Thank you for rescuing me following my fall at Crowden Brook and saving my life.

After my initial stay at Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, I am now back at home in Cornwall where I am recovering from my multiple injuries ( fractures of the spine,ribs, and skull and a punctured lung and brain haemorrhage).

I was very impressed with your whole team even though my memory of the rescue operation is patchy. The video is also highly impressive (I think it was filmed by Tim Webber) and I hope it will help with the fundraising, as will my film debut on "Helicopter Heroes", which is scheduled for some time in September (don't know the exact date yet). So thank you all once again, and to Stephen Rowe who was instrumental in the rescue and who visited me during my stay in hospital.

Yours Sincerely
Stefanie Helmle.

11th March 2010 Incident 28 - Crowden Brook

Hi Guys.

Thank you for turning out to help rescue my wife Jane on Thursday. She has had to spend time in Hospital because her ankle was broken in three places.

If it had not been for your prompt response we could have been in serious trouble.

We think you guys do a wonderful job and deserve all the praise you get.

Thanks again for helping myself and Samantha down with all the kit. We would have struggled on our own.

Jane will hopefully be home on Monday and I am sure her thanks will be forthcoming.

Regards
Steve Copeland

31st January 2010 Incident 18 - Froggatt

I just wanted to say a big thank you to all you guys. I m the climber who fell about 6m down a route on Froggatt Edge last Sunday (incident 18). I m really grateful for the care and attention you gave me and the great cheerfulness with which you did it (even if laughing hurt!). I m also grateful to the air ambulance in getting me off the edge.

I m now home and glad to say nothing's broken, but I do have a sprained ankle and my hip has some impressive bruising.

As soon as I m feeling better I hope to do some fundraising for you and will let you know how that goes.

Yours gratefully,
Matt Causier

11th April 2009 Incident 23 - Stanage

Although it was a long time ago, I am writing to thank you for your assistance on 11/04/09 - incident 23.

You were sent out to my boyfriend Luke Jennings who was climbing Stanage Edge and fell 8 metres.

I wasn't at the scene, but I hear the Edale Mountain Rescue team and the helicopter team were both amazing.

Luke was in hospital for just over a week and had to have several operations on his many broken bones. He's had to work hard at his recovery, but I'm pleased to report that he's almost as good as new now - apart from some interesting scars!

Thank you so much for your assistance and carry on with the good work.

Regards, Riah Matthews

10th October 2009 Incident 85 - Plantation Area, Stanage

I would like to thank all of the mountain rescue team that responded so quickly and professionally to this incident.

My thanks also go out to the woman who was climbing a route nearby and had previously volunteered for a mountain rescue team in the Peak District. She helped throughout the rescue operation along with many other climbers at the crag that day.

I was discharged from hospital the following morning with nothing more than a few grazes and bruising. I consider myself very lucky.

I was climbing Taurus Crack on Pegasus Wall at Stanage when I fell beyond my belayer while I was trying to find a suitable place to put my first piece of protection. I was being spotted by two people, including my belayer, and between them they managed to take a lot of the fall for me and direct me away from the rock and onto a grassy slope.

I rotated 90 degrees in the air after being pushed away from the rock and the first thing that hit the ground was my head and right shoulder. This would have probably been a very different story had I not been wearing a helmet.

I am I keen hill walker and climber and this was my third visit to the Peak District and the second time I had climbed at Stanage. I have never had any need for mountain rescue before and hope never to need your assistance again.

3rd October 2009 Incident 82 - Back Tor

Hi,I am the lady that your team rescued from Back Tor on 03/10/09. Please say a MASSIVE THANK YOU to all that helped, I cant praise the team enough. I still cant believe that you were there on hand!!!

I am now at home recovering and hopefully when I can walk I am coming up, with my friend Alison who was there that day, to see you all.

Once again Thank You. Mo.

PS Please thank Woodhead and Glossop teams as well.

7th September 2009 Incident 69 - Popular End, Stanage

I was at Stanage with friends on Saturday 5th September - we were climbing April Crack, and were the next party along from the climber who lost her life - although we didn't see the accident we heard it and saw the aftermath, and were able at least to call for assistance for her.

I suppose I just wanted to thank you and your colleagues for all you did that day, and all you continue to do. Thank you.

12th July 2008 Incident 48 - High Neb, Stanage

I would like to take the opportunity to thank all the team members involved with incident number 48. I have made a full recovery and was back climbing within a month!. I spent 5 days in hospital and then stayed at my university accommodation for most of the summer break.I even managed to go surfing in Devon at the very end of the summer.

I have since been back and top roped old friends (aptly named) and flashed it. I hope to lead it in the autumn. it was unfortunate that the gear ripped the first time but never the less I am back on the horse and intend to continue climbing.

I am organising a fund raiser for the mountain rescue and air ambulance in the summer. I look forward to sending a donation you way.

So once again many thanks to all those involved.

30th December 2008 Incident 111 - Kinder Scout

About me
I am a fit 12 stone 43 year old male. I have been walking in the hills, mountains and fells on the UK for many years (about 15 I would say), both alone and in groups. I have done such demanding routes as striding edge and sharp edge in the Lake District, Snowdon horseshoe via Crib Goch in Snowdonia, all the big mountains in Torridon, and last but not least all the Munroes on Skye (including the Clach Glas – Blaven traverse). I also rock climb to a fair standard (V.Diff). So I would consider my self an experienced hill-walker.

Planning of the walk
Well the planning was not that great to be honest. This is one of the many reasons that caused the walk to fail. As the old adage says “fail to prepare – prepare to fail”. I was sat at home bored over the Christmas / New Year period and decided that I would like to go for a walk. I didn’t want to drive very far so decided that the peak district was a good bet. So the night before (about 23:00 if I recall correctly) I started up memory-map on my laptop. I have been on Kinder before and knew of the path that circumnavigates the whole plateau. So that was what I decided to have a go at. Memory map told me that it was about 20 miles including the way up/down. I initially intended to start of the snake pass at the Snake Inn, but fearing for the security of my car, I decided that Edale was a better bet. My plan was to leave Edale carpark and head up Grindsbrook clough path and then forking right onto Golden clough, then following the edge path round in an anti-clockwise direction and eventually coming back down the same way. So I estimated 20 miles at 4 mph = 5 hours (this turned out to be very optimistic – in practice, over rough ground you cannot make 4 mph, 2.5 mph is a more realistic value). So I would need to be starting out no later than 11:00. So that would mean a 09:00 start from my home in Lincolnshire.
The plan decided, it was now time to pack some gear. I normally have a large 35 litre rucksack, but as it was only a short easy walk, decide I would just take a small day sack. I normally carry paper map, compass, GPS-PDA with electronic map software on it, mobile phone with in-built GPS, 2 survival bags, whistle, head torch, with spare batteries and bulbs, over trousers, warm water proof coat, gloves, woolly hat. For this trip, I decided on: GPS-PDA, mobile phone, warm waterproof coat, compass (but no paper map), over trousers, head torch (but no spare batteries – I figured that I wouldn’t be needing it), gloves, woolly hat and fleece (all worn). I had 2 litres of water, a pack of sandwiches, bag of crisps, banana, pear, apple, flapjack and bar of fruit and nut chocolate.

The day of the walk
I was typically a bit late up and set off 09:10, but I had to get fuel for the car, whilst at the fuel station and realised that I had forgotten my socks, so it was about 09:30 before I was properly on my way.
I arrived in Edale carpark at about 11:00, and started out about 11:30 (already late by my plan). It was 12:00 when I reached the top of Golden Clough. So I figured, about 17 miles or so round, that will take me about 3 ½ hours, it gets dark about 16:00 to 16:30 so it was tight but still achievable (or so I thought). So of I went, keeping a constant check on time and progress (on PDA), this however, had the unfortunate affect of using the battery in the PDA a lot faster than I expected. I should have known this, as being an engineer; I know full well how cold temperatures negatively affect battery performance. Well by time I reached the Swine’s Back, marking the start of the last leg of my route, the sun was just starting to set and the light was fading fast. What I should have done at this point was to get down anywhere as it is much safer to walk at night on the road that on a hill (the path down to Upper Booth would have been the obvious choice). But pig-headed stubbornness and a refusal to admit defeat pushed me on to complete my intended route. I figured that it would only be another ½ or so till I reached the top of Golden Clough and then it was easy from there, even in the dark with a head torch. Because of route finding difficulties due to the path being very hard to make out and the lack of regular map checks (I could only use the PDA for very short periods to conserve the battery which was now being reported as very low) my progress was slower than I expected. Just before Hartshorn I donned my head torch; I used it sparingly as I was not too sure as to the state of the batteries. About at the point of Nether Tor, the battery in the PDA failed completely, so now no map! Right, this is getting silly, it’s time to get down anywhere (only now do I think this!). So I get to a Clough which I think is Golden Clough, but only when I am some distance down it I realise that due to the absence of a path that it isn’t (incidentally it turned out to be Dry Clough). But it would have been very silly to climb back up and try and find the correct path, so down it was. I had got to a point where the clough started to get some water in it, so I decided that the hillside was better than the very difficult ground of the clough, so I climbed the left back and tried to descend by it. It was and this point that my head torch went out. Damn what to do? So I decided that I was quite near the bottom (my mobile phone GPS put me at 475m which was about halfway down). So I soldiered on, but in the dark I kept stumbling and falling. After many quite heavy falls I decided that I would stop and consider my situation. I have no map, no light, it’s dark and I keep falling in the darkness. If I were to continue, I would reach most probably reach the bottom, but what if one of the falls were to injure me (my toe was already killing me after stumbling over a large rock I didn’t see in the darkness – see picture of very black toe nail). Then it becomes a whole new game, I could twist/break an ankle, then I would have to carried off the hill. Or even worse, what if I fell and knocked myself out, I could then very quickly and easily succumb to exposure (the temperature was already below freezing) and then there would be huge search followed by a dead body being carried off the hill. So after a long (about 20 mins) think, I decided that enough was enough and I would have to swallow my pride and call for help. So out comes the phone and I’m put through to Edale MRT (Dave I think his name was). I give him a GPS fix off my phone as 53.3 W, 1.82 N. This turns out to be gibberish as the northings and westings are the wrong way round! So I apologise as he was right and I was wrong. The MRT wanted a lat/long but I didn’t know how to get that on my phone. I have since found a way of doing this but I should have done this before I set off; Trying to find out how do to it on the side of a hill in the dark and cold is not the best time. After a number of phone calls the MRT couldn’t seem to understand where I was. They kept asking what seemed to me at the time to be irrelevant questions (where did you set off from, which way did you go round the path etc.). But what you have to appreciate is that the people they are trying to locate have a wide range of abilities in navigating and some might know where they are at all! I knew where I was approximately; all I needed was some light to see my way down. One thing that I did notice was that when you can’t see what other senses have you got? Hearing. So I described what I could hear, dogs barking and sound of lorry/tractor reversing horn. This certainly helped to pinpoint me and is something to be aware of. They told me to put on extra clothing which I did, and I’m glad that I had it with me (take note), as I was soon very cold and shivering. I ate some chocolate which improved my mood somewhat (again take note, extra food is essential). With the information I gave, the MRT team quickly found me (about an hour or so after I called – very impressive). I could see lights but I could not attract their attention, what would have proved useful is a whistle, if only I had brought mine. I was walked off the hill with me apologising profusely for the bother I had caused and feeling very embarrassed. I have often scoffed at the sort of people that get themselves into trouble on the hills by getting lost and have to call MRT, thinking what stupid people, how can they get themselves into such a situation. Now I was the stupid person. It turns out that 25 people and 3 dogs (we can’t leave our four legged friends out) turned out to find little me. What a complete fool I feel. But to their considerable credit, no one judged me or was angry or in any way disparaged me for the trouble I had caused, although if they had done, I would not have complained as I felt I deserved it.

Lessons Learnt
Here are a few lessons that I learned from this experience (some I already knew but chose ignore them due to obstinacy in completing my route).

1) No matter how experienced you are, we can all make mistakes. We are all human.
2) Never underestimate the terrain. Yes you might have done far harder, higher and longer walks, but walking on any hill, especially in winter, should always treated with respect.
3) Make sure that you have adequate navigation aids. Yes a GPS-PDA is a wonderful gadget, but a mere several ounces of junk if the batteries are flat. A paper map works without batteries!
4) Before you set out make sure you have enough time and daylight. This was the main reason that I had difficulties.
5) Have sufficient gear such that you can make it down in the dark. Even if you think that the possibility of overrun is unlikely. A head torch with batteries of unknown vintage and no spares was not a wise move.
6) Be prepared to curtail / modify your planned route if it looks like you will be struggling to complete it (tiredness, lack of food/water, lack of daylight etc). Don’t to too proud/stupid (like me) to admit defeat.


My humble gratitude goes out to the guys, girls and four legged friends of the Edale, Buxton & Kinder MRT’s for getting this one silly man off the hill in safety. You can rest assured I will endeavour to make sure it does not happen again. I should and do know better.

Thank you all very much,

17th December 2008 Incident 107 - Froggatt Edge

On the 17th December I took a tumble at Froggatt Edge and I was just writing to let you know how grateful I am for all the help that you gave me at the crag and to let you know how I've been doing.
After I was taken from the cliff to the hospital (embarrassing myself on the way if I remember rightly, I blame the nitrous oxide!) I was seen to very quickly and after some x-rays was allowed to move about a bit more and get sat up in bed. During the night I spoke to a few different doctors and they decided to perform the surgery the next day (Thursday) at around midday. This went well and I'm now the proud owner of a long metal rod and a few screws holding the fracture together. By Friday I was able to take a few steps on crutches and on Saturday I completed the final physio task of walking up and down a flight of stairs and was given the opportunity to go home which, needless to say, I pounced upon!

I spent a very pampered Christmas at home with my family as I hope you were all able to and am now really getting the hang of the crutches and can do just about everything for myself which is a relief.
Of course none of this would be the case if it hadn't been for your quick actions in coming to the rescue and helping me off the crag. I can't thank you all enough for the work that you did and continue to do for others who need help. I've been singing your praises to everyone who has asked about the accident and well deserved praises they are too. I think this is reflected in the high regard that Mountain Rescue teams are held throughout the UK and I personally really admire the altruism of the organisation and its members. Please, keep up the good work and keep saving lives!

Here's hoping you all had a very merry Christmas and have a happy New Year.
Many thanks again