For those that don’t know me, Ben Nevis and the surrounding area is a very special and important place for me. It holds many fond memories, as well as a few 'less-good' ones which got knocked out of my head some years ago!!

I had some very bad luck on my second winter mountaineering trip with the university club and it nearly cost me my life. However, immediately after the avalanche which swept me the best part of 1000ft down the northern gullies of Ben Nevis, my luck took a swift turn upwards!

I am so very grateful to the good souls of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team who reached me quickly and kept me stable until I could be airlifted to the safety. Since then, the team always welcome my visits which have helped enormously with the psychological side of the recovery. Each year brings a different set of challenges but the members of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team have given me a new lease of life and a solid foundation to keep building new memories on.

If there’s ever a chance to raise awareness of their efforts and raise some funds to help them keep doing what they do, I can never say no!

Now for some important information about what Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team do:

Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team provide a search and rescue service for Lochaber district. At the request of the police, they attend any incident where casualties are in a remote area or in an inaccessible location that requires rope-work to extricate them and/or where the normal emergency services are unable to operate.

They attend rescues day or night, 365 days of the year and in all weather conditions; with the largest mountain in Britain, Ben Nevis in the centre of our geographical area. Ben Nevis is enjoyed by a wide variety of visitors, from winter and summer climbers of all abilities, to first-time mountain walkers who may never climb another hill. The Mountain Path on Ben Nevis is used by 70,000 – 10,0000 people each year and is in constant use by tourists, regular hill-walkers, runners, charity fundraisers, and descending climbers.

All LMRT members are keen outdoor enthusiasts who understand that no matter how fit, experienced or well-equipped you are, things can always go wrong. We know that mountain rescue volunteers often provide the only chance of rescue for those lost, injured or stuck in remote or inaccessible locations. We gladly give our time to assisting others knowing that one day it might be our friends, family members or ourselves who require mountain rescue.

www.lochabermrt.co.uk

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