In the news

North Wales mountain rescue is offering the opportunity, through a series of short videos, to learn more about who they are, what they do, and – most importantly – how to keep yourself safe so that you won’t need to call upon their services when enjoying the magnificent scenery of North Wales.
This summer has seen viewers gripped by an up-close opportunity to see from the comfort of their sofa what can happen when a day’s adventure in the stunning terrain of North Wales goes wrong – and the challenges faced by those who bring the injured, lost and stranded back to safety.
Cameras for the TV series “SOS: Extreme Rescues” followed mountain rescue teams as they recovered people from underground cave complexes, cliff edges in deep mist or darkness, the sides of crumbling and abandoned quarries – to name just a few of the challenging and precarious locations captured on camera.
Casualties ranged from people in their eighties through to young children, and even
a stranded sheepdog.
The series concluded on 1 October – but although viewers will no longer see it on their screens, the work of mountain rescue volunteers will continue. North Wales includes the busiest areas in the whole of England and Wales for call outs to mountain rescue, and the volunteers are hoping that the TV series will have helped more people to understand the importance of respecting the risks that come with some of the most beautiful – but also most challenging – landscape in the country.

Andy Harbach, Chair of North Wales Mountain Rescue Association (NWMRA) said, “We absolutely want people to come and enjoy the magnificent landscape of North Wales. It’s beautiful, breathtaking at times, and the wellbeing benefits of being outdoors are well documented.

“However, it’s not without risk, and it’s really important that people remember that and prepare. Just take the weather for example – it can be very different on higher ground to what you experience as you park your car to start your day’s walking. The weather can also change suddenly leaving you exposed to extremes of heat, cold, wet, or wind, or disorientated through reduced visibility. Doing your research on the weather you will face on your planned route, and being prepared for all eventualities by carrying the right equipment to keep you safe, can make all the difference.

“The television series gave us a great opportunity to highlight some of these risks, and hopefully it will get people thinking about how best to prepare.”
Being prepared is important to mountain rescue services. Demand is reaching unprecedented levels with a call out (and sometimes multiple call outs) received every day of the year in 2024, and call outs for 2025 continuing the upward trend.
Mountain rescue responders are all volunteers – they give up their free time to respond to call outs and help people in need, and the cost of vital equipment, vehicles, and training is largely met through donations.
This is why the videos being released by NWMRA as the TV series concludes don’t just carry those all important safety messages – they provide an insight into who mountain rescue are and what they do.

Andy says, “Mountain rescue responders are all volunteers. Most have day jobs and careers,
plus family commitments and will often do a full day’s work, then say goodbye to
family, put their boots on and head out into the darkness in all weathers to respond
to a call for help.
“In addition to call outs, mountain rescue volunteers dedicate many hours every month to training to maintain and enhance skills, as well as maintaining the equipment and vehicles which save and protect lives. With the majority of funding for mountain rescue services coming from donations, members also commit time to fundraising activity in order to provide the vital equipment and essential training that’s needed to respond to someone in need of help.
“The videos will help people to understand a little bit more about who we are, and how we deliver the vital services that we do – and maybe prompt people to consider how they could get involved with their local mountain rescue team and contribute.”

As “SOS: Extreme Rescues” concludes on our screens, the summer ebbs, and the dark nights draw in, NWMRA is hoping the short videos will continue to take these important messages to people planning a trip into the great outdoors to enjoy the autumn colours or the winter frosts.

There are three videos, each a couple of minutes long:
 Who we are and what we do – mountain rescue in North Wales
 Staying safe -some top tips to help you prepare and stay safe on your
adventure
 Fundraising – how to support your local mountain rescue team
Videos can be viewed on the NWMRA website (https://www.nwmra.org/media)

Andy concludes, ”Following lockdown during the pandemic, many people discovered a love of being outdoors, exploring new places, appreciated the sense of freedom and wellbeing that comes with that. Social media shows us beautiful and remote places, and people want to see and experience them for themselves. These are some of the reasons we have seen such an increase in the numbers of people walking, hiking and climbing in North Wales. People who volunteer for mountain rescue share a passion for being outdoors, for adventure, for exploring. So, we get it. We also know there is always going to be an element of risk – accidents happen to even the most experienced when you are navigating rugged, remote, terrain. If you share our passion for the beautiful landscape of North Wales, and want to enjoy it more safely, or get involved in supporting us, please do take time to view the short videos and consider what your contribution can be – greater preparedness before your next adventure, bringing a skill to the team, or helping us to raise those vital funds. All of these will make a difference.”