Kath Wills Talks Snowdon and Mountain Rescue

© Llanberis Mountain Rescue
Kath Wills is a first aid instructor and active member of the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team. The opinions expressed in this interview are specifically hers and not those of the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team. More info about Kath is at the foot of the interview.

Llanberis Mountain Rescue 3 180 call outs last year. Why is Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team one of the UK's busiest?

A major factor is that Snowdon, our main mountain here, is a very different mountain to others. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending how you look at it) Snowdon attracts tourists as well as mountaineers and walkers. Many people think that because there's a train ride up it and a café on top it's a walk in the park. Snowdon is still a mountain.

What significance does the Snowdon train have on rescues?

Well, there's no dress code for getting on the train to the summit of Snowdon! It might be lovely and sunny down here on a day like this, and people think: “Oh it's lovely - I'll get the train up and walk down!” but they have no idea what the conditions can be like on the summit. It could be very different up there. A one way ticket can sometimes feel like a poor investment when they get off at the top ... and perhaps realise they don't have the right clothing.

Have you ever seen anyone walking down from Snowdon in flip flops?

I've never seen anyone walking down in flip flops, but I've heard stories of it! It's hard to say what inappropriate clothing is though. Is it inappropriate if they get up and down OK? I've often passed people dressed like they're going shopping in town, while I'm fully kitted like a Yeti in crampons and winter boots.

How often do you get called out to someone who didn't really need help?

There are sometimes incidents that could fall into the category of misuse. We're volunteers, giving up time and work to rescue people ... some people have a misconception that we're paid professionals sitting in a base waiting for their call.

"...I've often passed people dressed like they're going shopping in town, while I'm fully kitted like a Yeti in crampons and winter boots..."

When should you call Mountain Rescue, and when should you figure it out for yourself?

Llanberis Mountain Rescue 1  © Llanberis Mountain Rescue Collection

There's no black and white answer. People call for a variety of reasons nowadays, not just because they are injured or ill: many are just lost or stuck. I would like to think that if you've done a first aid course and have some basic skills, you would be confident and happy to evacuate yourself and your friends whenever possible. But there may be a time when the incident is just too serious and you will need to call for help.

Should people call if their friends are overdue?

We get a lot of calls like – “It's 8pm and this group's not back” Very often in the next two hours they turn up at their car. By then a chain of events has already been set in motion – the Mountain Rescue Co-ordinator will have found out where they parked the car, who's in the group, search managers will have been involved...

There isn't a "yes" or "no" answer to this dilemma though. Take into account the number, experience and equipment of the group as well as the prevailing weather conditions and try not to think the worst! They may have decided to take an alternative path down the mountain because of poor weather and ended up in the next valley. It's not uncommon for us or the police to find missing groups trudging up the road trying to get back to their car.

"...If you're on a mountain and you call 999 and ask for an ambulance, you'll probably get one! But they can only really help if you're close to a road..."

In what situations would you use the helicopter, and when would you walk in to rescue someone?

If it's not urgent, we walk in. If an aircraft isn't available, or the flying conditions aren't right, we walk. The helicopter is a valuable asset and isn't routinely deployed. Some English teams work closely with the air ambulance. We work closely with the RAF, and here in Llanberis, helicopter specifically means the Sea King. The co-ordinator will only call the helicopter out if the situation is serous enough to warrant it.

How many members are there in the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team?

Around 55, 25 of which are regular. There are less people available mid week, as many work 9-5. If we need more people we call on the RAF or a neighbouring Rescue team.

How do you call for Mountain Rescue, and what process is triggered when you do?

It's important to note that if you're on a mountain and you call 999 and ask for an ambulance, you'll probably get one! But ambulances are very limited and can only offer assistance if you are close to a road head. If you want the assistance of Mountain Rescue you call 999 and ask for the police, then say “I need Mountain Rescue.”

Be aware that if calling on a 'roaming' signal then emergency services might not be able to get back to the caller. If this is the case, consider recalling the emergency services after 30 minutes or so.

  • Tell the Police:
  • Your location: Where you are (pref 10 fig grid ref).
  • Weather conditions (ie in cloud).
  • About the casualty: Name, age, nature of injury or illness, any other medical conditions (ie asthmatic) taking any medication, allergic to anything.
  • About your group: Number in party, what you are wearing (colour not brand!), any medical conditions in the rest of the party.
  • Other useful info: Give a second mobile number.
  • The police will abbreviate your problem and page the Mountain Rescue team.
  • The call out procedure varies in each Mountain Rescue Team, but this is what happens with Llanberis Mountain Rescue.
  • One of a designated number of Mountain Rescue team co-ordinators will pick up a 'code red'.
  • They'll phone the police to pick up more information and then if possible phone you directly.
  • The urgency on which the co-ordinator acts is based on the information that comes in.
  • He then pages and texts the Mountain Rescue team.
  • Those who are available make their way to the team base.
  • The co-ordinator will decide what resources to involve such as a helicopter or search and rescue dogs.

This all takes time! Be patient and stay off your mobile phone so you can be contacted.

When is your busiest time?

Usually Easter to October half term.

A lot of work goes on unpaid. Do you think the Mountain Rescue should be professionalised, as it is in other countries – so essentially teams would be paid, and if they weren't rescuing people they'd be training in rescue, first aid and mountain skills?

Well, there would be repercussions if Mountain Rescue was professionalised. In other countries, people have to be insured in order to go into the mountains, otherwise being rescued could result in a hefty bill. As a voluntary organisation, Mountain Rescue attracts all kinds of people from plumbers, teachers and instructors to doctors, nurses and pilots. Each of us brings something different to the team. We come from a very diverse background and have specialist interests and areas.

Llanberis Mountain Rescue 4


"...As a voluntary organisation, Mountain Rescue attracts all kinds of people from plumbers, teachers and instructors to doctors, nurses and pilots. Each of us brings something different to the team..."

Llanberis Mountain Rescue 1 Why do you do it?

Well, for a variety of reasons but mainly because I like to help people. I first got involved because I was a first aid instructor, and wanted to combine my interest in the outdoors with skills that I had. I've been teaching first aid for 11 years, and on the Mountain Rescue team for 10 and a half. I didn't join to wear a badge, which is just as well because Llanberis don't have any. We are lucky in Llanberis that there are a lot of advanced first aiders: the down side for me is that I do have to fight them off to get to the casualty first! You can let the Mountain Rescue take over your life, and for some it is their life. I try to strike a healthy balance.

What experience do you need to join a Mountain Rescue team?

It depends which team you join. Most will train you in rescue techniques and first aid – some will train you in basic mountain skills but others, like the Llanberis team, have a premise that you are confident and competent in handling yourself on the mountain before you join.

Do you think more people call out the Mountain Rescue these days than they used to?

There seems to have been a change ... there isn't the stoic self-reliance that there used to be. But then again, the introduction of mobile phones means people don't need to be so self reliant these days. Perhaps people would have been less stoical in the old days if they'd had mobiles! You'll find people who will happily go out walking in jeans and without a rucksack but will make sure they take their phone. On the few occasions as a youth when I got lost I retraced my steps or on one occasion spent a very cold night on the mountain in a survival bag! In the days pre-mobile phones you just got on with it.

I also think there's been an increase in the popularity of mountain activities, and that's had an influence. You see people shopping in £350 quid Gore-tex – the outdoors has become fashionable. And there are plenty of documentaries on TV: after watching Coast, my husband Brian and I have wanted to walk particular mountains and areas we've seen on TV. But some people might not have the necessary skills to look after themselves in a mountain environment.

"...There seems to have been a change ... there isn't the stoic self-reliance that there used to be. In the days pre-mobile phones you just got on with it..."

What emergency gear do you carry?

The problem with first aid kits is you could sit ten mountaineers down and each would have different stuff. But personally I would carry:

  • Bothy bag / emergency shelter
  • A blizzard vest
  • Wound dressings for a bleed
  • Steristrips
  • Triangular bandage
  • Scissors
  • Mediwipes
  • Saline pod
  • A bandage / support bandage
  • Non absorbent dressings like Melolin
  • Micropore tape
  • Cling film for burns
  • Compeed for blisters
  • Face shield (for giving CPR)
  • Gloves – several pairs (not latex as some people are allergic)
  • Little gauzes – to mop not as a dressing
  • Cotton wool
  • Casualty report form
  • Pen
  • Wee notebook
  • Hypostop – energy gel for exhaustion
  • Pain killers – paracetamol aspirin / ibuprofen
  • Dioralyte – rehydration sachets (in summer)
  • Duct tape

What's the minimum people should carry into the mountains, clothing and safety gear-wise?

People have to remember that while still moving they can get away with the minimum of clothing, but if something happens and they have to stop, what then? Have they got sufficient things to provide shelter, and offer basic first aid while waiting for rescue, if they needed to be rescued? Have they got something to clean and cover a wound? Could they improvise a bandage out of what they've got? I would hope most people would carry a basic first aid kit and an emergency shelter or orange survival bag. But then, when I'm lugging my rucksack up the hill and I see people walking up with no rucksack, I sometimes think: “Why am I carrying all this stuff?!” It's all about risk and perceived risk.

How often do you train?

We train one Monday each month in the evening, and the last Sunday of the month all day. We cover first aid equipment, using radios, using technical rescue techniques, and everything in between. There are extras too – heli training every 12 months, for example, where we refresh ourselves with the Sea King and procedures, such as winching and approaching air craft etc – Landrover driving courses and the like.

Who pays for your costs?

We are a charity so we do. We have use of a chapel in Nant Peris which we use as a base. It's rented out by the National Park. Raising money is done through charity work, fundraising, or people giving us money; perhaps in a will. A lot of income comes from people who we rescue, or is given in memory of people who have died. Occasionally we shake tins, but we already give so much of our time. People on the team do charity events and raise funds. My husband does mad things sometimes such as running in the Snowdon marathon to raise money.

How do you go about joining Lanberis Mountain Rescue Team?

You go on the Llanberis mountain rescue website and email the Secretary for an application form. You need to live within so many minutes drive of the Rescue Team base.

Llanberis Mountain Rescue Logo  © Llanberis Mountain Rescue Collection
Contact Details of Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team

Website:
www.llanberismountainrescue.co.uk

Team Blog:
llanberismrt.blogspot.com

Make a Donation:
www.justgiving.com/llanberismountainrescue



About Kath Wills

Kath Wills 1  © Kath Wills Collection

Kath holds the Rescue Emergency Care Instructional Certificate (REC) and has been involved with REC for nearly 10 years. She also freelances as a first aid specialist at public events. She is an active mountaineer both in summer and winter and is a dedicated and active member of the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team (LLMRT) - one of the busiest teams in the UK. Using her experience she is able to provide an insight for those interested into the challenges of having to do first aid in more remote situations.

Kath runs Active First Aid Training. She believes that First Aid is about 'doing' and so the emphasis of the courses is on the practical element. With no medical jargon and plenty of hands on work, Kath gives candidates the opportunity to become confident in providing care, and the ability to apply general first aid principles in each and every first aid situation they may find themselves in.

For more information about Kath and Active First Aid, visit Active First Aid.


For more information Llanberis Mountain Rescue

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