New initiative has serious message
Experts offer tips on staying safe
Hillwalkers and climbers are the target of a new mountain rescue initiative which is being launched in rural Stirling.
Police and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park are working with Killin, Lomond and Arrochar Mountain Rescue Teams to raise awareness of issues faced by outdoor enthusiasts in the area and highlight the vital roles performed by the teams.
Winter is usually the most dangerous season of the year for walkers taking to the hills and to help them stay safe, rescue team members have been distributing leaflets throughout the national park, while videos outlining potential risks have also been created.
The campaign launches online today (Friday) and PC Will Diamond, Lochearnhead community officer and member of Killin Mountain Rescue, said: “The reason we’re doing this is basically due to ill-prepared walkers.
“We’re launching videos on what equipment to take, how to navigate and what to do if things go wrong.
“We want people to be prepared well all year round but it’s good that we’re launching now as January and February tend to be quite difficult months. There still tends to be a lot of people out on the hills but with the added extra of more ice and snow.”
Killin Mountain Rescue have 55 members covering rural areas, from Tyndrum to Callander and more, and Bill Rose from the group underlined the importance of being well-prepared.
He said: “The risk increases in the winter but this is a year-round initiative. We have been called out 34 times this year to help people and among them have been several who have simply downloaded a route from a website and gone out without a map or compass.
“Anyone heading out should take a map and compass, and download the OS locate app on their smartphone as a backup. The app is free and can tell us exactly where you are.
“There are three times in the past three months that we’ve been called out to people lost on the hills and we’ve managed to locate them through the app. On one occasion there was a group who were out in the hills when it was dark, windy and raining.
“They had the app and after calling for help we managed to head straight to them. If they didn’t have OS-locate we may not have reached them until the following day.
“It’s also important that people make sure they keep their phone secure in their pocket. If it gets cold the battery will drain quicker and if the touch screen is wet it won’t work properly.”
David Dodson of Lomond Mountain Rescue Team, who have 32 members, added: “Safety is, of course, our main concern and through the winter months it’s more likely people are going to encounter difficulty.
“There are additional things, and other dangers, to think about and we want to get that across. While we want people to enjoy themselves, we want them to do so safely.”
Staff at Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park have raised £4000 for the three mountain rescue teams this year and Simon Jones, director of conservation and visitor operations, understood their key role.
He said: “Our National Park boasts marvellous opportunities for outdoor recreation, from a gentle stroll up to challenging mountaineering.
“Raising awareness of mountain safety will highlight how to stay safe and still enjoy the mountains, including what to do if something does go wrong.”
Callander-based Inspector Gerry McMenemy said: “We are delighted to work along with the mountain rescue teams and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park on this initiative and we very much value their assistance.”
OS Locate is a free app for both IOS and Android devices that contains a compass and includes the ability to provide grid references which can be messaged to rescue teams in an emergency.
Through the campaign people are urged to download this as a backup but to always carry a map and compass too.
For more information go to www. ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop/oslocate/.