Mountain experts have criticised a school after a group of its students was rescued from a Lake District fellside this morning after a search involving 35 volunteers.
Upper Eskdale and Great Moss, scene of the search
The walkers were described as ‘clueless’ by a mountain rescue leader, who said the school they attend are ‘regular customers’ of the rescue teams. The stricken walkers, from a religious establishment in the North-East, called for help at 5.30am today. They had set off across the Cumbrian fells at 11am the previous morning.
The five boys, aged 16, and an 18-year-old man were found near Scafell.
The party was ill-equipped for the conditions, according to Julian Carradice of the Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team. He told grough: “They were not wearing mountain clothes. They were wearing the cheapest trousers, with no overtrousers and had no means of shelter.
“Considering the weather last night, they were lucky. It was thundering and lightning and there was a cloudburst.
“Higher up, the snow was freezing on my face; I had two pairs of gloves on.”
Students from the school have got into difficulties on the fells before. Mr Carradice said: “They just haven’t got the first idea of what it is proper to have on the hills and how to navigate.
“They think that mountain rescue is on standby for them. The Cairngorm team has had problems with them too.”
The Wasdale MRT was joined in the major search by colleagues from the Langdale-Ambleside and Kendal teams and dog handlers from the Search and Rescue Dogs Association. The operation lasted six hours and centred on the south side of Esk Pike, after the walkers had indicated they had turned left at the bottom of the Cam Spout waterfall. In fact, they were eventually located at 10.15am on Slight Side, nearly 2km south of the Scafell summit.
Mr Carradice said: “They were found on the fellside, with no shelter. They had good reception on the mobile, so I don’t know why they didn’t ring us earlier.”
A helicopter from RAF Valley on Anglesey was able to land at the site and take them to Furness General Hospital, where they were treated for hypothermia.
Mountain rescue teams have faced increased calls on their services by ill prepared fellwalkers who get lost or benighted and are unable to navigate off the fells. This has put a strain on some teams whose members are unable to devote the time to call-outs because of family and work commitments.
Richard Warren, chairman of the Wasdale MRT, said: “This is yet another incident where fellwalkers were unprepared for their walk and were unable to cope when things started to go wrong.
“The Lake District Mountain Rescue Association and Cumbria Tourism are mounting a campaign to alert people to the necessity of being properly prepared for their day out in the mountains.”
Team leader Julian Carradice was scathing about the conduct of the school. He said: “The responsible adult was an 18 year-old. This is such a common story for us. They are clueless as far as mountains go. Sooner or later there will be a catastrophe with this lot.”
Mountain rescuers in England and Wales are preparing to celebrate the movement’s 75th anniversary this year.
Dave
01 May 2008Be brave and name the school
MIKE
01 May 2008NAME AND SHAME, SO THEY KNOW WE ARE WATCHING, AND PARENTS KNOW WHO THEY ARE TRUSTING WTH THEIR KIDS LIFE.
john hee
01 May 2008Be lovely to see what the schools obligatory risk assessment had scribbled on it
Guest
02 May 2008This is a disgrace. These kids and their families put their full trust in the teachers / schools and allow these "trips" to take place. These people must be made to realise the amount of responsibility that they carry. Steve J.
Guest
02 May 2008C'MON Name the school
Matt
02 May 2008The only way to stop this is to name the school. They are obviously building a reputation for all the wrong reasons and a duty of care appears to be lacking.
Alan (Nottm)
04 May 2008I'm sure someone has posted a comment naming the school and the comment will have been edited out. Dirty washing shouldn't be washed in public so lets just hope that the approriate authories are dealing with this school. Perhaps the editor can confirm this.
grough editor
04 May 2008The mountain rescue teams did not name the school and no-one has posted a comment on grough on this topic which has been edited. grough has to work within the legal constraints operating in the UK and also within our ethical policy.
Guest
06 May 2008Just a note to support Grough who work closely with our teams within the Lake District to ensure reports are factually accurate and ethical. Mountain rescue teams always aim protect the identity of involved groups and individuals. The reports you read go a long way in helping to raise the profile of mountain rescue, it's voluntary stature and the dangers associated with the outdoors. Richard Warren - Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association
The Piglit
07 May 2008I thought this kind of ***p was over with risk assesment MLTB liability paranoia. It's 36 years since the Cairngorm Tragedy. As if "outdoor education" wasn't a bad enough idea in the first place. There is enough here legally to stick the school on. Less a matter of naming and shaming better for police. social services and education authorties to get stuck in. Or will it take a tragedy followed by loads of stable door closing?
Guest
09 June 2008[color=#000000][/color]It just depends if the school were aware this group were doing this walk, if they were then its highly irresponsible and those teachers who knew this group was walking and failed to either go with them or arrange for some responsible person with a good knowledge of the area to go with them can only be described as neglegent! The school should be made aware that if a pupil is injured or killed in some future venture there is no question that the school will be named and these previous incidents highlighted. Funny the parents made no enquiries into this, if my children were going on such a trip I would certainly be wanting to know who was in charge.
Adrian
03 July 2008Far too often on the hills recently I have wonder why I am humping so much gear about while people wearing trainers and jeans who trot by carrying a tiny pack and a jumper. I had mountain safety drilled into me whilst doing the Duke of Edinburgh award ten years ago at school, I couldn't have asked for a better mentor. Striking a balance on what to carry is a fine art but my rule of thumb is simple: I pack for an uncomfortable but safe night NOT a comfortable easy day!
Guest
13 August 2008I don't know which this school is, but some time ago I passed a similarly equipped (and in some cases dangerously overweight and unfit) group, also obviously from a religious organisation, attempting Skiddaw. Another walker informed me afterwards that as he passed them and warned them they were boasting about how many times they had had Mountain Rescue out. I was left feeling enraged, but sadly I can't see what could be done about it- I can see why the teams feel that they can't start refusing to go out for particular organisations or events.
Guest
18 August 2008Early yesterday I went up Snowdon in quite poor weather, on the descent down the pyg track at about 11am more people were coming up and I kid you not as at least 50% were wearing inadequate clothing. Jeans and trainers were the most common items, along with 2 women and 5 kids who although reasonably dressed didn't have any rucksacks or baggage between them. My favourite though was the girl who without a waterproof jacket was wearing a plastic hoody of the kind you wear at the water rides in at the funfair.