Last weekend myself and Team Leader Arjan Hendriks organised our winter training weekend in Lochaber. As in previous years we were delighted to have all of the catering sourced, prepared and provided by the pupils in Ms Thistlethwaite’s Professional Cookery class at Gairloch HIgh School. This is a service that we have all come to look forward to both from the quality of the food supplied and as it allows us to focus on the training aspect of the weekend.  We all value having this real link between our mountain rescue community and the pupils at the school.
Eleven team members travelled down from Torridon, The Black Isle and Inverness area to Fort William where we were invited to the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team base. There we discussed the prevailing weather conditions and decided that a visit up onto the north face of Ben Nevis would not be a productive use of our time.  Instead we planned to share our practice in rescue rigging and crag snatches in Glen Nevis.

Unfortunately the accommodation and facilities at our bunkhouse near Loch Eil prevented us from being fortified by the wonderful ‘Full Scottish Breakfast’ provided by the pupils.  Instead we had a ‘Continental Style’ breakfast before heading to Lochaber MRT base and onwards to Sheep Fank Wall, Glen Nevis.

At Sheep Fank Wall we set the scenario of a fallen climber who was to be crag snatched from above and then lowered with the rescuer to a receiving party who had a stretcher waiting at the base of the crag.  It was interesting for the two teams to compare how they would execute such a rescue. Although we may use different equipment the principles of rigging are the same.  Eventually the hail and snow showers even at low level become heavier and harder so after three hours we returned to base. There we continued to look at different techniques and in particular, the system that Lochaber MRT use on lowers down routes such as Five Point Gully on Ben Nevis.

Our caterers had prepared lasagne with garlic bread followed by home made apple crumble and custard.  The final preparation of this was done at the Lochaber MRT base where we were joined by some of the local team. The meal was delicious, just what everyone needed after our first day of training.  One of the Lochaber guys suggested that the pupils should start providing the catering for our national mountain rescue Scotland courses..!

Next day we had power and lighting at our bunkhouse so we were up early to cook the breakfast of heroes!  We then met up with another Torridon MRT member before heading to The Ice Factor, Kinlochleven. Arjan had organised this two hour visit to the ice wall as preparation and equipment check prior to a team trip to Norway at the end of the month. By the time we had our two or three hours of front pointing the cooked breakfast was well and truly worked off.

Another successful trip which was made all the more enjoyable by the fantastic catering from Gairloch HIgh School and the great hospitality from Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team.  Look out for some photos and movie clips soon on the team gallery.

Jim Sutherland, Training Officer

In lieu of a decent accumulation of snow the Torridon & Kinlochewe Mountain Rescue Team we were somewhat ahead of the game with Avalanche rescue training. We improvised by using the huge naturally formed sand dune at Sand, North of Applecross in Wester Ross.  There had been some concerns by Gerry and myself as to the suitability of sand as opposed to snow as we set out the day prior, somewhat furtively lest the Ministry of Defence lookout across the headland spotted us carrying a full life-sized and lifelike dummy up the dunes!

However on the day saw a good turn out with well over half the team despite the extra distance.  Indeed the team looked very festive in their new red and silver jackets from Keela (many thanks on behalf of the team) and on looking tourists may be forgiven for thinking it was the inaugural “Applecross Santa dash”

The training was taken very seriously as usual and some were heard to comment how realistic it was with the sand been blown into our faces and the line of probes with snow shovels at the ready.
 The team quickly found Avalanche transceivers that had been previously buried. This shows the importance of team members to be wearing one in the event that it could be a team member that gets avalanched! It took sometime to find the buried dummy, which was not very deep and did not have an Avalanche transceiver attached.  This in turn shows the huge disadvantage in not wearing a transceiver.

Once the dummy was located the team put into practice their recently renewed first aid training.  Clearing the airway was the priority, then safely rolling the “patient” onto the stretcher with the vacmat before evacuation to a safe area.

We finished by reviewing some basic rigging making use of the sea cliff at the summit of the dunes before retiring to Gerry’s house for a most welcome and warming festive curry.

Many thanks to Jim for helping organise the day and in particular to Gerry for extending the legendary Applecross hospitality to those who had travelled from Torridon, Gairloch and as far as Inverness.

Wishing all the team and its supporters a Merry Christmas.

Gregor Watson

Tom suggested this additional training day as he wanted show Team members the Beinn Damh gorge where he takes groups gorge scrambling with Torridon Activities. Kitted out with wetsuits, helmets and buoyancy aids we set off from the Torridon Inn. On the way Tom pointed out the rocks at the bridge in the hotel grounds which he uses to gauge the water level in the gorge. This was fairly high on account of the heavy rain the previous day. We made our way up the gorge and took note of the escape routes and tried to identify places where we could evacuate a casualty in the event of an accident. We went as far as the large waterfall then returned to the Torridon Inn for coffee and scones.

In the afternoon we went to a small crag near Shieldaig, set up some ropes and practiced lowering and hauling using the Petzl I’D and Rescucender.

Thanks to Tom and Jim for organising the day’s activities.