It’s the first real winter that the Peak District has seen for many years.  On the moors the night time temperatures have rarely been much above freezing since Christmas.  Snow covers most of the area with a considerable depth in the gullies and groughs of Kinder and Bleaklow.   There has even been some sunshine in which to enjoy the conditions and the weekend saw hundreds of people make for the tops.  That included many rescue team members who wanted to make the most of the rare ice build-up on the frozen waterfalls and …

Buxton Mountain Rescue Team extends it sincere thanks to The Chatsworth House Trust for its ongoing support of the team and in particular for the recent donation of £750.

The donation results from the proportion of the proceeds of the Chatsworth Country Fairs which is donated to local charitable organisations.  This is the second year the rescue team has been fortunate enough to be a beneficiary.   Each year the rescue team helps at the fairs by selling programmes at the entrance gates and is permitted to collect money at the show.  The Chatsworth Country Fairs have …

If you work in the Sheffield Valuation Office or St Edmundsbury Borough Council Office or the Pharmacy Department of Macclesfield Hospital, the team would like to apologise for the fact you didn’t get a Christmas card from your colleagues last year.

But we would like to say a really big thank-you to all the above and many more who between you have donated nearly £750 to the team in lieu of Christmas cards and presents.   Our ‘Christmas Gifts in Kind’ fund-raising campaign was launched on the team website in November 2008. …

Practicing the skills necessary for winter mountaineering can be difficult in the Peak District with real winter weather being so unpredictable.   However, it is important that every member of the rescue team has the ability and training to be able to move competently in winter conditions so every year a party from the team goes North in search of snow. 

This weekend they found it in abundance on the eastern slopes and gullies of Helvellyn in the Lake District.   Thirteen members of mixed ability, from novice to experienced, made …

They say crime doesn’t pay but on Monday 19th January Buxton Moutain Rescue benefited by £620 from local criminal activities.   Each year Derbyshire Constabulary distributes to charity the proceeds from the sale of property confiscated by court order.   This year the sum totalled £3,724 which was shared between ten worthy causes in the Buxton and Chesterfield police divisional areas.

At Derbyshire Police headquarters at Ripley, Carole Brister, Vice Chair Derbyshire Police Authority and Buxton Division Deputy Commander, Superintendent Paul Rouse, presented Ian Hurst (Team Chairperson) and Malc Needham (Deputy Team Leader) with the cheque.   The …

They say crime doesn’t pay but on Monday 19th January Buxton Moutain Rescue benefited by £620 from local criminal activities.   Each year Derbyshire Constabulary distributes to charity the proceeds from the sale of property confiscated by court order.   This year the sum totalled £3,724 which was shared between ten worthy causes in the Buxton and Chesterfield police divisional areas.
At Derbyshire Police headquarters at Ripley, Carole Brister, Vice Chair Derbyshire Police Authority and Buxton Division Deputy Commander, Superintendent Paul Rouse, presented Ian Hurst (Team Chairperson) and Malc Needham (Deputy Team Leader) with the cheque.   The …

Three days of appalling weather wasn’t going to stop Megan and search dog handler, Dave Mason, achieving their hard earned ambition of passing the stringent annual assessment course set by the  Search & Rescue Dog Association (SARDA) to qualify as “Full Search Dog”. 

The assessment, which took place over three days on the steep fells of Derwentwater in the Lake District, was scutinised and assessed by some of the most experienced dog handlers in the country. Gaining the nod of satisfaction from this group is the highest accolade.

Dave and his four year old border …

Nigel Vardy, internationally renowned mountaineer and adventurer, together with Derby Concert Band will be appearing on Saturday 21st March in the Octagan at Buxton’s Pavilion Gardens.  Buxton Mountain Rescue Team has kindly been granted the privilege of raising funds on the night.

Book now to avoid disappointment – it will be a sell out!

Credit crunch, economic squeeze, recession, down turn – all phrases we have recently seen splashed across our newspapers and television screens.   At a recent Buxton Mountain Rescue Team Trustee meeting the Honorary Treasurer reported that the team was already feeling the effects of the present economic climate with a dramatic drop in the bank interest rate.   Street collections in Buxton and Castleton over the Christmas period had also not been as fruitful as previous years.   Then news that a major company, which the team was about to approach for sponsorship, had just announced …

For over a week now the upper moors have been in a severe freeze with many of the footpaths covered in sheet ice with a layer of snow on the top.     Many of the usual approach routes such as Grindbrook and Crowden Brook  have their streams frozen and most of the flagged edge paths are treacherously icy.  The unwary walker could easily take a slip and break an ankle or leg.   Whilst most of those venturing on to the tops are well prepared and equipped there are …