Team celebrates 40 years at rescue post

On Saturday 31 August, one of the busiest rescue teams in the country is celebrating 40 years since its base in Nant Peris was recognised as a Mountain Rescue Post - but for the members of the Llanberis Mountain Rescue team it will be business as usual. They are planning a big celebration to mark their four decades of voluntary work based in the post and to celebrate their new tenancy of the building and the completion of development work in the building.But the 60 team members aren't just planning a hog roast to mark their journey from small beginnings in the 1960s to today's sometimes-much publicised rescues.

The Nant Peris based team will begin the celebrations with a thanksgiving service in the adjoining St Peris church - appropriate since their base is a church property. Later they will unveil the base's massive, £25,000 revamp - money donated by some of the many thousands of visitors rescued by the team over the years. Last year for instance the team was involved in almost 200 rescues and this year they have already been involved in more than 150.

"It's great to see visitors enjoying the mountains of Snowdonia," said John Grisdale, chairman of the Llanberis team. "Certainly the Governments goals of economic well-being and healthy living seem to have been successful if the numbers of visitors to our hills are seen as a benchmark," he added. "But, inevitably, the number of call outs have similarly increased over the last decade." It's all a far cry from 1968 when tentative discussions about forming a Llanberis-based mountain rescue team, peopled by local climbers and mountaineers already involved in rescues, began.

With little equipment or funds and no base, the embryo team initially relied on the hospitality of the Snowdonia National Park using its Warden Centre in Nant Peris. There the fledgling Llanberis team was allowed access to the garage to store their small quantity of equipment. The National Park Authorities sought the recognition of the Mountain Rescue Committee in establishing a Mountain Rescue Post in the Centre and on 31 August 1973 it became a reality. Latterly however the base has become a tight squeeze for the team as the amount of specialised equipment and communications systems grew year on year.



So the revamped base now houses a new, 21st century operations room, an equipment store, a kitchen and toilet, together with a large multipurpose hall. Most of the renovation work has been undertaken by team members. Saturday will also see past members joining in the celebrations as the team looks to ways of marking its half century in 2018!

As for the future, the team looks set to deal with an ever increasing number of call outs. Something they are already addressing: "Discussions with the politicians in Cardiff have started with the hope of greater support not only towards the support of teams and the upkeep of bases, equipment and transport but also towards educating the public about the need to prepare properly before venturing on to the mountains, to respect the mountain environment and to enjoy their experience safely," said John Grisdale.

For more information contact:

John Grisdale, Chairman
01286 674608 / 07772844166

Phil Benbow, Secretary
07765173940
info@llanberismountainrescue.co.uk

Additional information:

Event timetable:
Saturday 31 August Nant Peris
11:30 Thanksgiving service
12:00 Welcome and awards
12:00 - 14:00 View the base and hog roast

More detailed history

In the years leading to the mid 1960s calls for assistance on Snowdon were directed to the Mountain Rescue Post at the Pen y Gwryd Hotel which was run by Chris Briggs. However, as the number of incidents on Snowdon grew, a greater demand was made on local climbers and mountaineers in the Llanberis area. Led by staff from the mountain centers in the village, discussions about forming a Mountain Rescue Team based in Llanberis began for real in 1968. However, equipment and funds were very limited and with no real base for the organization it depended on the hospitality of these centers and the backing of individuals such as Don Roscoe, Jesse James, John Brailsford and John Ellis Roberts to name a few.

Establishing Rescue Post 77

During 1972 the National Park Authorities supported the then Mountain Rescue Council to establish a recognized Mountain Rescue Post in the Center. This was approved in early spring of 1973 and the next few months saw the gradual the arrival of some first aid equipment,then a casualty bag, a rucksack and later a Thomas stretcher complete with a double leg splint. On 31 August the National Park Officer wrote to the Ordnance Survey informing them that the Post 77, the Warden Center, was fully functional and requesting they inform the public of the new facility. Therefore, on 31 August 1973, Post 77 was fully operational and became a base in which the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team housed its equipment and has operated from for the last forty years.

The Team’s ‘Home’

The Team wishes to acknowledge its huge debt of gratitude to the Snowdonia National Park Authority for accommodating the team for the last four decades. During this period the garage became not only the equipment store, its operations room housing its radios and systems equipment, the nerve center for all call outs on Snowdon.