PEOPLE are finding new ways to die on Cumbria’s mountains. New ways to be injured as well. The traditional reasons for call outs to the county’s mountain rescue teams remain.

Some walkers still venture onto the fells with little idea of where they are going, dressed more for a stroll on the beach than a trek up a mountain.

But other alarming trends are emerging. The Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association (LDSAMRA) has just released its ‘Mountain Accidents’ report for 2015.

Each year these reports detail the varied ways in which people find themselves in trouble on and around the fells.

Last year there were 535 call-outs, an increase of 13 per cent on 2014.

Within this, two figures stand out. The number of deaths soared from 11 to 30 – equal to the previous high seen in 2010.

And the number of call-outs involving mountain bikers increased from 13 to 37.

Richard Warren is chairman of LDSAMRA, which is the umbrella organisation for Cumbria’s 12 rescue teams. He has analysed the figures and concludes that young and old are both becoming increasingly susceptible to injury and death.

It tends to be young people who fall off mountain bikes. And it tends to be older people who collapse on the fells.

Richard said: “Eighteen of the 30 deaths were from what we call medical emergencies, things like heart attacks. All those medical emergencies were people over 50.

“What can we draw from that? More people are going onto the mountains who are wanting to keep fit – people who maybe previously have not taken on strenuous activity.

“Walking on mountains can be very strenuous if you’ve never done it before. People need to know – if they are suffering heart conditions, if they have a heart attack on a mountain and ring 999, they’re not going to be getting an ambulance in three minutes.

“Unless you’re extremely lucky and have someone near you who can do cardiac massage and you can get a defibrillator quickly, they will die. If people are unfit and push themselves too far, they need to be aware of the risk.”

So the traditional advice for people in middle age and older to remain active should be tempered with knowledge of their health and their environment.

Richard is also concerned about the steep increase in injuries suffered by mountain bikers.


Richard Warren “It’s quite a worry,” he says. “It’s a growing sport and it’s an extreme sport. People go on black runs [in trails through Whinlatter and Grizedale forests] and even on fells. The steeper the run, the more attractive it is.

“If you come off you go over the handlebars. That leads to serious injuries to the pelvis, abdomen and chest. And if you haven’t got proper protection, serious injury to the head.

“I suppose it is a bit trite to ask people to be careful, but what’s what I would say. Don’t push yourself beyond your capabilities.”

Richard hopes that mountain bikers will see the sense in learning first aid.

“It takes a bit of time for a mountain rescue team to get to you. If you’re injured it helps if you’re with people who can do a bit of first aid to stop the bleeding and put you in the right position to protect your neck.”

He also asks that mountain bikers stick to official trails and avoid fells, for their safety and as a courtesy to people who are out walking.

Ed Westwood is workshop manager at Cyclewise bike shop in Whinlatter Forest.

“Occasionally we get mountain rescue call-outs up here but I haven’t noticed an increase,” he says. “I guess the main thing is that mountain biking has become a lot more popular, so it’s likely that there’ll be more incidents.

“In here it’s a pretty controlled environment for beginners. It’s relatively safe compared to the fells where they’re on their own. Here you’re never far from a marker saying where you are. If you’re new to it, practise before taking to the fells.”

Ed cautions that even some trails have become potentially more hazardous since Storm Desmond.

“A lot of trails have changed quite drastically with the storms. People need to think twice on a trail they might have known.”

The weather can be an enemy of anyone who ventures onto the mountains.

“We had a pretty hard winter in the early part of 2015,” says Richard Warren. “There were three deaths on Helvellyn in January alone, all from falls.”

Cold and mist are among the conditions which can lead to mountain rescue call-outs at any time of year.

“People coming up to Cumbria don’t always have an appreciation of the weather,” says Richard. “It can be nice and warm in the valley bottom but freezing on the tops.

“Be prepared if you’re going on high mountains. On Helvellyn this week it’s still winter conditions on the descent from Swirral Edge.

“People still go up ill-equipped. They don’t take torches. They don’t take a map and compass, or they don’t know how to use them. Learn to use them. Watch the weather forecast. Dress appropriately. If you’re wearing jeans and they get wet, they’ll stay wet.”

Richard acknowledges that smartphones can be helpful for navigation but says map and compass are more reliable.

“If you have one of those navigation apps running on a smartphone, they run the battery down after about three hours. It might get them up there, then the battery runs out.

“Having two mobile phones in the party is better, preferably with different providers to increase the chance of getting a signal.”

There are about 450 mountain rescue team members across Cumbria, all volunteers.

Keswick and Langdale/Ambleside are the busiest teams, each averaging more than 100 call-outs a year.

Extracts from The Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association’s Mountain Accidents report, 2015

January 6, Scafell: Hill Walking. Party of two reported themselves lost. During search notified they had walked off the wrong side of the mountain.

April 17, Watermillock, Ullswater: Vulnerable male, 89, with dementia reported missing after he failed to return from walk after becoming separated from his companion. Located safe and well by search dog.

May 2, Anglers Crag, Ennerdale: Female hill walker fell 60ft resulting in serious injuries. Treated at scene and airlifted to hospital but later died in from injuries.

May 9, Thornthwaite Forest: Male mountain biker, 45, crashed at high speed on the north loop. Serious chest and back injuries. Treated at scene. Stretchered to ambulance.

May 11, Crosby Garret: Flooded ford. Car washed off road at ford. Occupants recovered to base to dry and re-warm.

June 14, Bassenthwaite Water, Beck Wythop: Party of two reported in difficulty on lake, believed under the influence of alcohol. One made his own way to shore and the other was retrieved by boat.

July 25, Dow Bank, Great Langdale: Hill walking. Elderly male subject reported collapsed with chest pains. Pronounced dead on scene.

September 19, Fleetwith Pike, Honister: 31-year-old male paraglider pilot reported missing. Possible location obtained from GPS tracking device. Parachute located by aircraft, but a search located a body which was recovered by aircraft for the coroner’s officer. Fatal – multiple injuries.

December 6, throughout Cumbria: Major widespread flooding and transport disruption throughout the county. Assisted in the evacuation of residents from their homes and their businesses.

Nick Owen is team leader with Langdale/Ambleside and 2015 was their third-busiest year with 128 call outs.

Nick says they do still find people who are ill-prepared, but the numbers don’t seem to be increasing.

“A lot of trauma incidents are just pure misfortune. People have just had a bad day.”

Langdale/Ambleside has about 35 volunteers. Nick says: “Some of them work, some are self-employed. If they leave work they risk losing income. I run a youth hostel. There are times when I can leave work and times I can’t. Some people spend up to 200 hours a year on rescues.”

Nick has been with mountain rescue for 27 years. Not every call-out has ended with a casualty being brought down alive.

“We are aware of the risk to mental health,” he says. “We’ve got a good support network among the team; people that understand that kind of thing.”

The entire mountain rescue network is an exercise in goodwill. Men and women give their time and risk their safety for no material reward. There is no central funding. The annual cost – about £500,000 – is met entirely by donations. Much of this comes from walkers, including some who have been rescued.

Their name does not describe the full extent of mountain rescue teams’ work. Last December, Cumbria’s teams rescued people from flooded homes in their home county, as well as in Lancashire and Yorkshire. Out-of-county teams provided support in Cumbria.

“It becomes a way of life for a lot of people,” says Nick. “It’s the main thing they do outside work and family.”