A Northumberland rescue team's winter training was called into action immediately when two climbers fell in Scotland this weekend.
Northumberland National Park Mountain rescue team were doing winter skills training in the Cairngorms when one of their team witnessed two climbers falling from the Goat Track area of Coire an t-Sneachda. One of the two National Park teams was above them on the Fiacaill Ridge and immediately called 999, with the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team coming out to help and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency helicopter travelling from Inverness.
And Iain Nixon, Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue team leader says that the two climbers were very lucky to escape without life-changing or life-threatening injuries, after potentially falling somewhere between 100 and 150 metres. He said: "In terms of graded climbs in Scotland, the Fiacaill Ridge is a grade one so it's not technically difficult but it is quite exposed and if you came off that ridge, there's a high likelihood you'd hurt yourself.
"The climbers didn't come off on the ridge itself but it was near there in a corrie - I've been there myself on a climbing weekend away and saw somebody fall probably less distance than the two on Saturday did, and the outcome for them wasn't positive at all - so the two casualties have been very lucky."
Both of the climbers have been discharged from hospital and one has even thanked the team from Northumberland. In a response to the team's Facebook post, he wrote: "I'm one of the 2 people who had the accident. I want to thank you all very much.
"From the first reaction of the other climbers until I was discharged from the hospital, I have only encountered an extremely professional and friendly team. I'm glad our community works like this and I hope to see you in the hills again soon and be able to invite you for a beer."
The incident only took the Mountain Rescue teams away from their training for an hour and eighteen minutes. And on their first trip up to the Cairngorms since annual trips before the Covid pandemic, new team members covered basic winter safety skills, while all members did avalanche training.
Though not common, avalanches do occur in the Cheviot Hills and Mountain Rescue teams have been training on search and rescue to find victims buried in snow and digging techniques to get to a buried individual quickly.
Iain finished: "Obviously there's just that added level of risk at this time of year, so ensuring that you've got the right kit and are doing something that's within your capabilities are absolutely key because the risk definitely increases in winter conditions. Obviously we don't get as harsh conditions down in the Cheviot Hills as up there in Scotland, but it can still be pretty bad."
Have you been out into the Cheviot Hills during the winter months? Let us know!
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