The Magazine of
SCOTTISH
MOUNTAIN RESCUE
Supported by the Order of St.John
www.mountainrescuescotland.org/
Issue 28 May 2012
The Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland
THE NEW VERTEX BEST COMFORTABLE HELMET FOR WORK AT HEIGHT AND RESCUE
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Lesley Bryce Advertising Coordinator lesleybryce2002@googlemail.com Articles published in CASBAG do not necessary reflect the views of the Editor or the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland. We are very grateful to all contributors and Advertisers. It is not always possible to include submitted features in the current issue. Those omitted are always kept for future use. MRCofS Executive Committee
CHAIRMAN Jonathon Hart
jhart41579@aol.com jonathan.hart@northern.pnn.police.uk
PROJECT MANAGER Shaun Roberts projectmanager@mountainrescuescotland.org New Easy-to-reach adjusters on sides
VICE CHAIR Steve Penny
SECRETARY Scott Douglas
TREASURER Moira Weatherstone
New CentreFit headband system keeps the helmet shell central on the head
p60sjp@hotmail.co.uk
Secretary@MRCofS.org moiraweatherstone@yahoo.co.uk
MEDICAL OFFICER Brian Tregaskis
briantregaskis@me.com b.tregaskis@nhs.net
TRAINING OFFICER Stuart Johnston
sj@climbmts.co.uk
EQUIPMENT OFFICER STATISTICIAN Jim Sudd
New PETZL VIZIR eye shield accessory - cannot be dropped or left behind. meets EN166.
ACPOS Colin Souter ARCCK Tom Taylor
Vacant
jdcmillforge@aol.com colin.souter@northern.pnn.police.uk tom.taylor.arcc@mosstowie.demon.co.uk
Co-opted Members
Compatible with the New PETZL PIXA industrial lighting range
LEGAL ADVISOR Roddy Cormack roddy.cormack@btinternet.com RADIO / COMMS James Coles james.coles@webpresentations.co.uk UKSAROPS (CWG) James Coles james.coles@webpresentations.co.uk MLTS Graham McDonald egmcd@btinternet.com MRC Alfie Ingram alfoy.ingram@btinternet.com MC of S Alfie Ingram alfoy.ingram@btinternet.com SMSF Vacant MAGAZINE EDITOR Dave Cawthorn d.cawthorn@o2.co.uk
Petzl products are distributed in the UK by
Lyon Equipment Limited
Front Cover: Time-out during a joint exercise between Cockermouth MRT and Tweed Valley MRT. Photo Credit: Steve Penny. See page 9.
Junction 38, M6, Tebay, Cumbria, CA10 3SS, UK Tel: +44(0)15396 26250, Email: work.rescue@lyon.co.uk
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. The Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland (MRCofS) is a Registered Scottish Charity – Number SC015257
editorial Spring 2012 is going to be remembered for its unusually late snow and ice cover extending over Scotlands highest tops long into the month of May , and then latterly the incredible spell of 25+ c weather across much of the Country. Like many Mountain Rescue team members I had packed away my winter climbing kit and was in summer climbing mode, out enjoying the rock and scrambling conditions. However several winter rescues later I was brought down to earth when experiencing full on winter blizzard conditions , necessitating micro navigation across Aonach Mor and then two weekends later lowering a Lochaber MRT colleague to a fallen climber on the Ice climb, point 5 in late May!!!! The following week I met up with a bunch of the Syke MRT folks on the Cuillin ridge in what can only be described as perfect summer (nae midges) conditions and enjoyed our most magnificent mountain range in all its glory. These huge changes and variations in our teams weather conditions and mountain geography are the essence of Scottish Mountain Rescue, whether you’re in the Borders , up in Assynt, or out in the Islands. Experienced , locally based and readily available mountain rescue volunteers , coordinated by their local police officer and a fantastic ‘can do’ attitude to getting the job done is our great strength. Our volunteer teams operate in some of the most demanding and hostile Mountain conditions in the world, and are able to react to changes in these conditions and deploy the appropriate skills and techniques without hesitation. These are outstanding skills of the highest order. Its no wonder then that the public sector agencies are requesting that we respond to an increasing number of tasks. The MRCofS statistics for 2011 show an increase in the number of call outs that we are responding to across the Country and there are no reports identifying that the job was not completed, or aborted. Other agencies reliability on Helicopter support has been also tested this month and early May saw a series of Helicopter engineering issues that grounded both private and public sector fleets, across the country. Scottish Mountain Rescue teams’ ability to continue to operate , with reduced availability from the National Air fleet , is another great strength of our organisation , albeit we might have to walk a lot further!!
The Magazine of
SCOTTISH
Have great summer, get out there doing what you love to do!! Jonathan Hart Chair - MRCofS
MOUNTAIN RESCUE
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2012
My point with all of this….. is that as we move into a period of public sector change, , we should all focus on the positive aspects of the service we provide as Scottish Mountain Rescue and be proud of being part of a great organisation and focus on the needs of our casualties.
The Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland
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Hebrides Search And Rescue
John Norfolk Founder & Secretary
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2012
It has now been 12 months since Hebrides Search And Rescue became affiliated to the MRC of S. In terms of courses & training we knew we had a steep learning curve to conquer. Little did we expect it to have the same profile as An Sgurr ! In terms of assets and equipment the team has also come on in leaps and bounds. I have been lucky enough to be involved from the very start of HebSAR, and it has been a great honour and privilege to see the team achieve operational status and deploy, assisting Northern Constabulary. I have met some awesome and inspirational instructors and individuals within the MRC of S.
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Thanks to the Order of St John we know have Mobile One (Ex Tweed Valley MRT) Landrover Defender and a Vauxhall Movano Incident Control vehicle (Ex Northern Constabulary). Through a grant from NHS Western Isles we also have Mobile Two (Ex Coniston MRT) another Landrover Defender. The NHS grant also enabled the equipment officer, Adrian Trevor, to purchase the vast majority of the technical rope rescue gear that we require in the short to medium term. Both of the team Landrovers are registered ambulances and each carries a Mackinnes stretcher and a comprehensive medical bag. The team is very aware of it’s carbon footprint and is very happy to be able to extend the life of vehicles that have already provided sterling service to other teams and our stakeholders. The support and assistance we have received from both of these organisations has been fundamental in enhancing the team capabilities. The team would like to express it’s sincere gratitude to Richard Waller and Janet Knox from the Order of St John and Gordon Jamieson, Chief Executive of NHS Western Isles. The team now have a full set of radios, handheld and vehicle sets, supplied by Willie
Macpherson of Highland Signals Ltd. We were lucky enough to get Iain MacLeod over from Lochaber to give us a good introduction to the radios and the correct use of voice procedure. Both Tweed Valley and Coniston were generous enough to leave the masts and antennas on the Landrovers so we have very few problems with comms despite the terrain. From the summit of Am Clisham we can get good comms on our hand-held Icoms to Stornoway over 22 miles away. The team also has a base station radio deployed in Stornoway Police Station. On callouts the team One of the first courses team members completed was the Search |Management Course held in Aberfeldy. Jonathan Murray and myself both attended the course and gained a valuable insight into the theory side. This course has been useful in several of the live searches the team has conducted. This was our first real opportunity to mix with members of other MRT’s and learn from their experience. It also gave us the chance to have a chat with Heavy Walley, who has a history with the Isle of Harris after the tragic Shackleton crash in 1990. We also have two members booked on the Digital mapping Course in Lochaber in June. The laptop computer will then complement the incident control vehicle and give us a much better environment to manage searches from. April saw half of the team gain there basic first aid qualification through BASP. We were lucky to get Chris De Rollo over from Dundonnel MRT to pass on a lot of real life MRT first aid experience. We decided not to go down the HSE approved course route, instead opting for something that is more relevant and in-line with our core capability. Our team doctor, Dr Antony Latham was also on hand to pick Chris’s brains over selection of
suitable medical kit. The course was superbly run and everyone was impressed with the amount of knowledge Chris passed on in such a professional and humorous manner. The team is lucky to have three doctors but it is reassuring to know that team members know the basics to a high standard, and can then package the casualty in preparation for onwards travel to definitive medical care. The team continue to hold cascare sessions at least once a month to maintain this standard. The future will hopefully see team members attending EMT and CasCare courses. May saw a crack team of instructors venturing over the Minch to help the team host it’s first MRC of S Foundation Rigging Course. Shaun Roberts MRCofS Project Officer (Glemore Lodge MRT), Jon Sanders (Tayside MRT) and John Armstrong(Glenmore Lodge & Cairngorm MRT) were superb instructors, not so good at sea crossings though it has to be said. The weather was as you’d expect for the Outer Hebrides in spring or monsoon season as we like to call it. Since it’s foundation some three years ago the team has established the need for good climbers on the team. The winter months tend to be on the indoor wall, with lighter summer evenings spent out and about on local crags. The foundation course brought a lot of new skill sets in to the team and we now know what the gold standard is. The instructors also introduced us to lots of technical gear that we have not trained with before. Top of the procurement agenda now has to be a couple of sets of hedgehogs. Shaun and the guys did a superb job of demonstrating how much purchase this device has even in the peat of the Hebrides. Several team members have been inspired by the foundation course and now hope to attend the next Level One course. Since becoming operational in late 2011 the
team have attended 5 callouts. These have seen the team deployed down to Benbecula for a search over very varied terrain in a hailstorm backed by winds gusting 60knots, to a search at night in the village where 3 team members live. The team have also deployed on searches over open moorland and in urban areas. The professionalism team members have shown during some difficult callouts has been amazing and a credit to their professionalism. The team has developed a superb working relationship with the officers and civilian staff of Northern Constabulary, throughout the Outer Hebrides and also in Inverness. The team have a store within Stornoway Police Station, which is now also a nominated Mountain Rescue Post. Interestingly OS maps have shown one in Tarbert Police Station for many years, but nobody seems to remember any equipment ever being there. We are now a firm fixture at events such as the annual Emergency Services Ball and regularly help out at events supporting the other agencies we work alongside. June will see HebSAR personal assist officers organising the charity cycle challenge from Barra to the Butt of
Lewis. This will also allow team members to familiarise themselves with the Uists and other areas we may be asked to deploy to. The team have also developed close ties with HMCG on Lewis and Harris. Several of the large scale searches we have conducted have been in conjunction with the Coastguard Rescue Teams. We regularly use the Coastguard Station and their excellent facilities for courses. Having Rescue One Zero Zero based at Stornoway Airport has also provided us with easy access to training with the CHC crew led by Alun Tink. The team has already deployed on a search via One Zero Zero, with additional team members following on in Mobile One and Two after an hour on the ferry. HebSAR has been given the honour of marshalling, and providing first aid cover, for the route when the Olympic flame reaches Stornoway. So, what does the next 12 months hold for Hebrides Search And Rescue ? Training, training and training ! The team has a very full training forecast for the rest of the year.
This does not include the usual on and off-road driver training, refresher training and induction training for new aspirant members. HebSAR identified at an early stage that Swiftwater rescue would also be a fundamental skill that we must be proficient in. One only has to look at a map of the Western Isles to see how much of the Islands is covered by Lochs and streams. The team is also working hard at fund raising, with Richard Hemmings now at the helm. A recent bag packing event at the CO-OP in Stornoway raised well over £700, the sale of charity wristbands and t-shirts also provides a steady income via ebay and the shop on the Team’s website. We have also attracted close on a thousand followers via our facebook and twitter pages, with a reasonable following from Indonesia !! We also have several teams booked to visit for some joint training, Kintail and Scarborough & Ryedale in the next couple of months. HebSAR would welcome any team, or team member, if they fancy visiting and joining in some training. We are keen to learn from the years of experience within the MRCofS and wider MRT/SAR community. A longer term project is working on identifying a new team base.
UK MOUNTAIN RESCUE CONFERENCE 2012 7 - 9 September 2012, Leeds Metropolitan University
Technology in Mountain Rescue
The draft programme includes: Austrian MR PLB’s Social Media (use in MR) IT in MR Search Management Insurance Panel/Clinic Inter-Agency Forum
Cas Care Medical Emergency Response Team IKAR Media Skills Technical Workshops Water Rescue Avalanches Helo’s RAF, Police, and Air Ambulance Weather The oppor tunity for additional speakers on other aspects per tinent to MR (LandSAR) still exist, and anyone who would like to give a presentation should contact Alfie Ingram : 01382 668193 Suppor ting the speaker programme will be a an extensive exhibition of manufacturers, and suppliers of SAR equipment.
The Conference opening will feature a shor t DVD illustrating the work of mountain rescue, and Teams / Team members who have suitable “clips” that they would like to offer for inclusion in the DVD should contact Alfie Ingram : 01382 668193 Booking Forms for the Conference will be available shor tly, and as the UK MR Conference is invariably a “full house”, early return of these is advised. Leeds has ver y good road, rail, and air links so travel to the venue is straightfor ward. Mark your diar y now - 7 – 9 September 2012 UK MR Conference, Leeds.
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2012
Plans are forging ahead for the bi-annual UK MR Conference the largest mountain rescue event in the UK in 2012. Located in the spacious Headingley Campus of the Metropolitan University in Leeds which provides outstanding facilities, the Conference will stimulate much thought and advice through the extensive programme of lectures, workshops, and exhibitions, presented by national and international practitioners exper t in their field of SAR.
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SEARCH AND RESCUE HELICOPTER SERVICE
Jim Fraser, Kintail MRT.
in 2012 but has been extended to 30th June 2013. A joint Department for Transport (DfT) and Ministry of Defence (MoD) project team began a contract process for a service to run for 20 to 30 years from 2012. The Soteria Consortium (CHC, Thales, RBS and Sikorsky) had been named as the preferred bidder. Unfortunately, it became apparent that there had been irregularities as a result of CHC employing a former RAF officer who had knowledge of the other bids. CHC stated that they reported this to the government in late 2010. The suspension of the contract process was announced on 8th February 2011. However, as early as 2007 and 2008 doubts had been expressed about inappropriate moves by more than one individual from the government project team to CHC. One of the major bidding consortia, UK Air Rescue (including Bristow), had withdrawn from the competition in September 2008. The MoD later confirmed that UK Air Rescue had written to them about possible improprieties in October 2008. MILITARY helicopter flying started in Britain after Fleet Air Arm pilots had been introduced to helicopters in the United States during the Second World War. British helicopter models soon developed, as did uses for helicopters.
What do you think of my office? (Sea King) Photo Credit: Royal Air Force/J Fraser
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2012
HISTORY & BACKGROUND
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CIVILIAN contractors have been doing helicopter search and rescue in the UK since 1971, with a break of a few years in the late seventies and early eighties. Bristow had a Coastguard contract for provision of a Westland Whirlwind at Manston in Kent from 1971 to 1974. The Manston story is instructive in the matter of changes in life-saving services. There were objections when the RAF provision was withdrawn. However, a few years later, when the Bristow aircraft was to be replaced by a RAF flight, there were objections again. Hansard records not only commendations for the work of the civilian aircraft but objections to the additional cost of the Wessex flight. Coastguard contracts introduced civilian aircraft at Sumburgh (1983), Stornoway (1987), Lee-on-the-Solent (1988) and Portland (1995), all of which were operated by Bristow. In 2007, the four Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) bases were part of a single contract that was won by CHC Scotia. They use the Sikorsky S-92 at Stornoway and Sumburgh and the Agusta Westland AW139 at Lee-on-the-Solent and Portland. This contract was due to end
Carrier SAR involves rescue of pilots during carrier operations and had previously been done by escort destroyers, which are clearly even more expensive than helicopters. Combat SAR involves the rescue of personnel, usually downed aircrew, from hostile territory, and generally involves fast aggressive insertion of one or more armed aircraft, with infantry, to identify and secure the missing personnel. With a similar role to carrier SAR, the RAF moved helicopters around the country to the locations of air exercises where there were no air sea rescue launches. Air-sea rescue, using massively powerful High Speed Launches of the RAF Marine Branch, was established only around the south-east of England having been developed as a form of Combat SAR during wartime. On land, there was also the Mountain Rescue Service. 275 Sqn RAF (202’s predecessor) is said to have been the world’s first dedicated SAR helicopter squadron. Eventually, a rather improvised mobile service evolved into a wider network of permanent RAF SAR helicopter flights serving every area where aircraft were routinely exercising. As helicopters became more reliable, faster and had greater range, the number of stations reduced drastically. Increased capability also led them to become more involved in land rescue and civilian rescue. As the size of the air force reduced and aircraft became more reliable, it was inevitable that most of the work of these units would be civilian incidents. Once aircraft developed enough to carry
heavy loads, naval helicopter use developed far beyond the early cost-cutter of carrier SAR. Helicopters are an essential part of modern naval operations and the Fleet Air Arm’s land bases became part of the evolved SAR network we have today. 2013 – 2017: THE GAP OR INTERIM CONTRACT This contract is described as an “Accelerated negotiated” procedure on the basis of the “Emergency need” that developed after the previous contract process was abandoned. To ensure continuity of service, the DfT unexpectedly had to conduct this competition in a few months. In February 2012, they awarded contracts to Bristow at Stornoway and Sumburgh and CHC at Lee-on-the-Solent and Portland. Operations are due to start on 1st July 2013 and end in spring and summer of 2017. The contract notice contained the unwelcome term “limited overland capability” and the MCA Aviation Department stated that key technical requirements would be substantially the same as the current contract. This means that there is no low light capability required by the contract and the contractor is not obliged to fit or use night vision imaging systems. Bristow have announced that they will also use the Sikorsky S-92. We can expect that their new aircraft will arrive in early 2013. We can also expect that there will be opportunities to engage with Bristow to develop a working relationship with them before they take over the service. 2015 – 2026: THE MAIN CONTRACT Sometimes referred to as the main contract or long-SAR, this is the first entirely planned aeronautical search and rescue service for the UK. It replaces the contract that was abandoned in early 2011. The service will operate from 10 bases across the UK. These are “at or in the vicinity of“ existing base locations. Service will end permanently on 30th Sept 2015 at RAF Boulmer and on 30th June 2017 at the MCA base at Portland. The contract is in three lots. Lot 3 is for the entire service at all 10 bases and consists of the combined requirements of Lot 1 and Lot 2. This means that one contractor could be awarded the entire contract or two different contractors awarded the contract by lots. Lot 1 is for the service at or in the vicinity of Stornoway, Sumburgh, Culdrose, Leconfield and Valley. The aircraft are required to have accommodation for 8 survivors, 2 of whom are on stretchers, and a greater range and endurance (enhanced range and endurance at Stornoway).
Lot 2 is for the service at or in the vicinity of Lossiemouth, Prestwick, Chivenor, Wattisham and Lee-on-the-Solent. The aircraft are required to have accommodation for 4 survivors, 2 of whom are on stretchers, and a lesser range and endurance. The type and number of aircraft is not defined and it is up to the bidders to propose solutions that can satisfy all the other requirements. A wide range of communications equipment is specified that includes land SAR channels 62A and 24A, MF/HF, sat phones, Airwave and data services. The DfT has defined progressively more detailed technical requirements. As we would expect, there are also extensive legal, financial and insurance requirements that bidders must meet. The Technical Requirement Matrix of February 2012 is the latest published version of the technical requirements and a summary of its MR-related points is shown below. • TRAINING. Ground familiarisation training. Flying training for noncontractor SAR. Dependent on geographic location. Training plan to enable aircrew to obtain full functionality from each system. • HLS. Landing on unprepared surfaces with up to 10% slope. • MOUNTAIN. MRT standard load: 6 persons plus loads of kit. Deploy/ retrieve MRT standard load on the ground or in air (hover). Hover at 4000’ on hot day with MRT standard load (well beyond Sea King capability). Avionic systems accept OS National Grid. • CLIMATE. Continue ops in snow for one hour. Ops down to -26 deg C. Hover into wind without restriction. Hover in downwind 18 kn, side 30 kn. Start/stop rotor in up to 45 kn. • NIGHT VISION. NVG compatible cockpit. Visual search down to 2 millilux: near moonless clear night without cultural lighting. (NVG operating levels are a requirement. NVG not mandatory but most likely solution. Does not rule out other technologies.)
OPERATIONAL TRANSITION TIMELINE 01 April 2015 - Lossiemouth (Lot 2) & Leconfield (Lot 1) 01 July 2015 - Valley (Lot 1) & Wattisham (Lot 2) 01 Oct 2015 - Chivenor (Lot 2) & Boulmer discontinued 01 Jan 2016 - Prestwick (Lot 2) & Culdrose (Lot 1) 01 April 2017 - Sumburgh (Lot 1) & Leeon-the-Solent (Lot 2) 01 July 2017 - Stornoway (Lot 1) & Portland discontinued
Ardennes) contractor. Already in the UK, operating out of Norwich. Operating MD Explorer through to Dauphin (EC155). • LOCKHEED MARTIN. A major defence contractor with a turnover like a small country. They have no experience in helicopter SAR or as any kind of helicopter operator. REGULATORY The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulates civilian SAR helicopter flying. They have
BIDDERS BY LOTS (at 22nd May 2012): LOT 1 (5 bases, big spec) • Bond Offshore Helicopters Ltd • Bristow Helicopters Ltd • CHC Scotia Ltd LOT 2 (5 bases, smaller spec) • Bond Offshore Helicopters Ltd • Bristow Helicopters Ltd Your new best friend. (S-92) Photo Credit: J Fraser • CHC Scotia Ltd • Noordzee Helikopters Vlaanderen N.V. published a Civil Air Publication for SAR LOT 3 (Lots 1 + 2) helicopter operations (CAP 999). This • Bond Offshore Helicopters Ltd specifically mentions mountain rescue • Bristow Helicopters Ltd teams as a group requiring training with SAR • CHC Scotia Ltd helicopters and lists a number of exemptions • Lockheed Martin UK Integrated to the normal rules of the air that are permitted Systems Ltd for SAR flying. BIDDERS: WHO ARE THEY? • BOND. BP’s SAR contractor. Scottish Ambulance Service contractor. Already well represented on the ARCC state board. Now part of World Helicopter Group with INEAR. Eurocopter Super Puma fleet: AS332L2 & EC225 including SAR. Sixteen Sikorsky S-92 on order. • BRISTOW. Owned by Bristow Group Inc. (previously known as Offshore Logistics). The BIG player, mainly because of proven capability through over 11500 SAR missions and nearly 30 years of relationship with the Coastguard. Recently awarded the two northern bases in the MCA’s Gap contract. Already operating S-92, EC225 & AS332L2 including SAR. • CHC. The current contractor at the four MCA bases and recently awarded the two southern bases in the MCA’s Gap contract. Already operating S-92, EC225 & AS332L2 including SAR. • NHV. Belgian offshore, industrial and HEMS (incl mountains of the
Operators must apply for an Air Operating Certificate (AOC) before starting operations. SAR operators will require an AOC for normal flying and another for SAR flying. An AOC application is a detailed submission that includes training plans and operating manuals. The operator must put all the operating circumstances in the AOC application or they cannot be approved. In the case of specialist and expensive measures, the customer (DfT/ MCA) needs to put the correct operating circumstances in the contract before an operator is likely to put them in their AOC application. The CAA has made it clear that SAR operators are permitted to do everything that is required to do the job and enable them to provide the same service as military flyers (dependent on a correct AOC application!). Teams in the northwest will know that the MCA aircraft will not do live stretcher winching during training. This is a CAA restriction and it is the only one that I have been able to identify during a number of discussions with CAA inspectors.
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2012
CONTRACT TIMELINE (at 5th March 2012): 14 June 2012 - Return of High Level Proposals (Phase 1 Stage 2) ( TBC ) - Bidder presentations 24 July 2012 - Notify shortlisted bidders 27 July - 7 Sept 2012 - Dialogue meetings (Phase 2 – Boot Camp) 17 Oct 2012 - Return of Revised Proposals (Phase 3) 23 Nov 2012 - Issue Invitation to Submit Final Tenders (ISFT) 14 Dec 2012 - Return of final tenders (Phase 4) 11 March 2013 - Notification of intention to award contract (Phase 5)
22 March 2013 - Sign contract
DISCUSSION
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LAND SAR. In June 2001, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) and Ministry of Defence (MoD) published a ‘Review of UK SAR Helicopter Provision and Coverage Criteria Report’ and in 2006 an update was published. The 2006 update mentions the difficulty of matching the MoD data with the MCA data. It remains the case in spring 2012 that these monthly data sources are not compatible. In spite of this difficulty, it is clear that the dominant task for the fleet as a whole is land SAR. BASE LOCATIONS are potentially the most contentious matter of all. We have no idea how many, if any, changes will occur. There has already been considerable discussion about alternatives to Prestwick, and Dyce may replace Lossiemouth. The island bases could move onto, or closer to, the mainland. AIRCRAFT. We already know that the Sikorsky S-92 and Eurocopter EC225 (Super Puma) are leading contenders for Lot 1. The AW-101 (Merlin) is seen as too big and too expensive and the NH-90 has no civilian accreditation. Lot 2 is more difficult to predict, particularly since a number of new aircraft in this class have appeared on the market recently. The current MCA aircraft in the south, the AW139, may be a contender but recent newcomers include the EC175 and AW189. Committing to using new types for a contract with tight availability requirements is a high-risk plan. An option for bidders in Lot 3 is to equip all bases with the same aircraft which allows greater flexibility and reduced logistical costs.
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2012
The S-61N or Sea King cannot meet the performance specifications of the contract and might not have sufficient safety margins for the CAA to grant a SAR Air Operating Certificate (AOC) in the future.
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PILOTS from military SAR units, with experience measured in decades, point out that their less experienced military colleagues may not push the boundaries in the way that the ‘old sweats’ do and should not be expected to do so. The same is true for contractors’ pilots who will have a range of different experience and are flying an aircraft with a short SAR history. Military pilots, if given new aircraft to replace the Sea King, would experience a capability dip. By 2017, civilian SAR pilots will have been flying S-92 up-close-and-personal with Scottish mountains for 10 years. ‘There are no old bold pilots.’ TRAINING for MRT features in both the contract technical requirements and the CAA’s CAP 999. The devil is in the detail, and we need to keep pressing for good workable training requirements that will be deeply and permanently embedded in the procedures. We should aim to engage not only with regulators and the MCA but also with incoming contractors to ensure that this happens. DOGS do not feature in any of the documents published so far by the CAA or DfT. Taking an animal on an aircraft requires controls. The CAA has made it clear that dogs should feature in the operating manual and thus the AOC application. This is another area that needs our continuing attention. COMMS. The current S-92 spec does not enable HF comms with ARCC or listening to multiple marine VHF channels. Those facilities are likely to be in the new specification. Unfortunately, the communications specification is so extensive that it is a potential source of project delays or operational problems related to Electro-Magnetic Compatibility (EMC).
NIGHT VISION IMAGING SYSTEMS. The 2001 provision and coverage report records a night vision capability for all SAR helicopter providers including the MCA contractor (Bristow). CHC, the contractor on the current 2007 contract, does not have NVG because the DfT/MCA has not put a low light requirement in the contract. The Gap contract, awarded to Bristow and starting in 2013, is also believed not to have a low light requirement in the contract. The Main contract has a low light requirement and NVG is the expected solution. Although some suspect cost is the reason for current lack of NVG in MCA contractors’ aircraft, laws on hazardous substances, waste management and defence trade controls have all been suggested as contributing factors. CONCLUSION This has the makings of a world-class service. With a few tweaks here and there, it will be. With 20 years experience of working with civilian contractors’ aircraft and 5 years of working with the S-92, teams in the northwest have an important contribution to make to the development of this service as it rolls out across the entire UK. Mountain rescue, here and elsewhere in the UK, needs to open new channels of communications to ensure that the land SAR message is heard load and clear, and that details vital to working in mountainous terrain are not overlooked. Once contracts are awarded, we need to work with the contractors to help them prepare. The more everyone involved takes an objective and collaborative approach, the better the service can become.
Experience with the S-92 identifies downdraught as troublesome. This is a function of weight, power and rotor blade design. All modern helicopter types have a more effective blade design and greater engine power. These advances ensure the performance levels that give us reliable mountain flying and therefore greater safety for our members and for rescued persons. Downdraught is not going away, so both aircrew and MR personnel need to adapt. We need to make this happen collaboratively rather than it being a source of conflict. I say again, downdraught is not going away. At CHC Ireland, from 2013, the four S-92 from Sumburgh and Stornoway will enter service with the coastguard thus achieving the full complement of five aircraft. One aircraft will operate at each of four bases and the fifth aircraft will be a spare. We can expect a similar approach to be used in the UK. Inevitably, this will make Lot 3 of the contract cheaper than Lot 1 and Lot 2 because in the latter case each contractor would require spare aircraft.
SAR at Hammerfest in Norway. (EC225) Photo Credit: Eurocopter/Anthony Pecchi
Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team (TVMRT) Exercise in Lake District With Cockermouth MRT. Steve Penny. TVMRT Team Leader
Last year we welcomed a past member of the Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team to join us in TVMRT and this gave us an excuse (if one was ever needed) for 12 of our members to spend a weekend in the Lakes based at Cockermouth. Many will remember the floods that struck Cockermouth in 2009 (picture?). Markers showing the levels reached are placed on various properties along the high street and as we arrived in sweltering 27oC sunshine it was hard to believe that less than three years previous the town had been a scene of such a natural disaster. We had been given permission to overnight at the Cockermouth MRT base, which was opened in 2002 (picture). This is a fantastic facility on two levels with garaging for three landrovers, kit rooms, workshops, classroom, control room, kitchen, relatives room and a two storey climbing wall with various platforms for training on belay and stretcher lowers (pictures).
The first and second lowers included some sections of vertical drops and thereafter the slopes eased slightly (pictures). It was encouraging to see that the methods and equipment used by both teams were very closely matched and everyone ell comfortably into setting up the systems.
In the evening, we met up with Cockermouth team Chair, Steve Brailey, team leader Mike Park and others. We enjoyed the food, beers and chat that helped to prepare us for the joint exercise that was planned for the Sunday morning. We were up for an early start on Sunday as members of CMRT started arriving at base from about 0730hrs. After an initial briefing and demonstration of belay set up and stretcher lowering on the climbing wall, both teams headed again for Grasmoor where a casualty had already been despatched to the higher slopes. The scenario was based on a walker who had fallen while descending and was lying on one of the high ledges. Two “fast response” runners from CMRT … and our own racing snake, Pete ….. were sent initially up the hill with a first aid pack. Their task was to get to the casualty as quickly as possible and stabilise as the rest of the team made their way up with the stretcher and rope rescue kits. As they sped off like mountain goats, we made our way up the steeps slopes with bags of metalwork and rope at a (slightly) slower pace. The teams were mixed together and worked closely to start setting up the various belay points required for the first, second and third stretcher lowers (pictures).
It was not long before the casualty (a CMRT member who must have drawn the short straw!) was packaged ready to start the descent to the road far below. The stretcher was lowered from belay point to belay point until such a stage that it required only a back rope to provide some security on the lower grass and scree slopes (pictures). The casualty was brought safely down to the roadside and the whole exercise from start to finish was completed in two and a half hours. With midday temperatures again reaching 27oC everyone headed to a local pub garden for the debrief! This was an excellent weekend for reinforcing skills and working with one of the Lakes teams. We are very grateful to CMRT for their hospitality over the weekend and their willingness to share their own experiences and an excellent training exercise. Thanks also must go to Ray Smith and Pete Hall of TVMRT who organised the weekend. All photographs Steve Penny.
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN MOUNTAIN RESCUE RESCUE May May 2012 2012 SCOTTISH
It was hard to get folk away from this building and out onto the fells but soon enough we set out for the slopes of Grasmoor. Our training officer, Ray Smith, planned for us to work on team skills on steep slopes, building on the MRCofS Rigging courses. We
have updated and refreshed all of our steep ground kit to align with best practice as demonstrated on these courses and have been working to bring the skills of all our team members up to a common minimum level. The slopes of Grasmoor gave us plenty of scope to work on our team skills and build confidence for members who were not as used to working on steep ground as others (pictures).
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CORROUR, COOKING & CARN DEARG with Ochils MRT.
Andy Cloquet, Ochils MRT.
with collapsing snow holes one year, but perhaps due a wee shake-up. So, this year I continued the subtle edging away from our comfort circle & I found my initial plan of ‘doing something out of the box’ for this winter’s adventure training a welcome idea by Team members. Smithy & Billy de-rig lower in the windscoop
Although the hugely variable early ‘12 weather pushed Micks’ first ideas into touch, his considerable personal experience, local contacts and my sketchy training aims brought us to Corrour station @ 2117 on a bleak Friday with a scantily detailed mock-callout brief which had arrived De-brief map ready: Custard = cliffs, jelly babies on our phones a few hours earlier. = team members
SCOTTISH SCOTTISHMOUNTAIN MOUNTAINRESCUE RESCUEMay May2012 2012
Last year, as you might have read in the MREW journal, our team’s winter training included a wee bit of good ol’ guided mountaineering in The Mamores and on The Ben. Nothing
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This was to take us onto Meall Garbh’s Easterly cliffs with the aim of assisting ‘a stranded and injured climber’: however, of Vernon, the person who ‘alerted’ Police, there was no sign!
Bellhaven’s finest brew in Roy Bridge. You’ll be familiar with night searches, crag work & full-on snow and ice at night so I won’t dally over the details. Suffice, we located the ‘casualty’ who was mightily relieved to see our lights but increasingly miffed that we couldn’t find the ropes he was trying to alert us to, which had supposedly been left dangling from his stance by his climbing partner Vernon. There are no excuses for not working out that there should have been insitu ropes used by Vernon to retreat from the crag but had someone been on the slopes opposite the crag, I think the information being shouted by the
With our Team Leader having to recover his longgaraged VW & regrettably unavailable, Mario and Gary took duties at the footplate and we were met off the last train across the moor, by Jon who made a Dave Leven, John Brannan & Neil check their nav ferry-like job of shuttling controversial here but a long way from bodies and kit around Loch some of the more formalised training Ossian to the track head from often described in these pages. where shank’s pony took over on The Team liked the end result as did the haul into the corrie. I. My training skills and those of our Guide were more suitably put to use Despite the unrelenting grind than perhaps on previous trips where into the corrie & full-on winter we often went through set-pieces with conditions, this night exercise was more or less the same routine each a welcome alternative to the usual year. It’s all been good training, even of being flushed through with Casualty prepared for tensioned traverse
casualty might just have been more clear: for us, tucked away underneath the cliff in a mighty wind only gave us audible muffles – any excuse to minimise the fault will do, eh? Despite failing to access our now hoarse casualty from below, Simon’s mini-team’s efforts to access the casualty’s stance from the side was commendably necky.
A luxury sleep in the estate’s supremely comfortable The Chapel & Corrie Odhar accommodations by 0400 was short-lived as training re-started with a 1000hrs de-brief. Using food cartons and jelly babies to model the incident site and a personalised verbal lashing for each of us was equal to the ferocity of the coffee and in our fully awakened state we then happily settled into a navigation exercise before lunch! For ‘afters’, we were served a training feast of Stretcher tie-ins, Tyrollean traverses, knot tying, tensioning, loading ‘n testing a semi static rope to destruction using a Freelander & a prussik loop with nowt a ‘clanky’ gadget in sight!
Moving stretcher out onto rope
Out of the gloom and frustration of not getting to the stranded climber Vernon (aka – Mick, our Guide) had repositioned himself close to his ‘casualty’ and lowered him to the stretcher team with the prospect of an early morning bed instead of the his now familiar ledge. Muted comments about our night’s efforts outstripped one of our former Tighe-blasted escapades in which we achieved the accolade, ‘Never in the field of mountain rescue, have so many done so little, so slowly!’
A tremendous venue, a superb menu of training led by Mick Tighe of Nevis Guides, a brace of Munros and stacks of local History all under the gaze of Lisbet Rausing’s modernist take of a Scottish country estate house designed by Moshe Safdie……..all for £80 per person including £10 each for travel.
A massive dining table soon became the social This type of training, in my view, is hub of our gathering and the heartbeat of the most productive as night emerged from the insidious cold of the late afternoon, our Team caterers, Ben, Jon, Simon & Paul set about preparing a sumptuous 3 course meal which included venison from the estate, only interrupted by a mountaineering & mrt quiz, a 9x Malt Whisky tasting and many recalled stories; all in the name of team Mick ready for Sunday’s training bonding......and onto Sunday which arrived far too quickly. and successful form of training for MR I worked with our hugely Teams and it should never be ditched. enthusiastic Trainees with a Clearly, our specialist training events simple plan to return to our have a place in our work but without cars at Rannoch some 16K repeatedly revisiting our core skills away, via Carn Dearg in the and ensuring our team workmanship fairly limited vis. 2/3m and is firmly in place no Level ‘whatever’ biting SE winds. course is going to fit the purpose The remaining team of training and maintaining a members formed small professionally prepared but voluntary walking groups to follow mountain rescue service. our tracks, first traversing Sgor Gaibhre whilst our off- Links: road driving team re-traced http://ochilsmrttraining.blogspot. their 11k route out to the com/2012/02/corrour-cooking-carnLaggan road. dearg.html
SCOTTISH SCOTTISHMOUNTAIN MOUNTAINRESCUE RESCUEMay May2012 2012
Stretcher on the move
Smithy hanging above a freezing dip!
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HebSAR Host Foundation Rigging Course The MRC of S Foundation Rigging course was hosted by HebSAR on the Isle of Lewis this weekend. Three of our national trainers traveled to Stornoway to deliver the course. Shaun Roberts (Project Manager & Glenmore Lodge MRT), Jon Sanders (Tayside MRT) and John Armstrong (Cairngorm & Glenmore Lodge MRT) endured the rolling seas of The Minch, arriving to a warm welcome but feeling somewhat sick.
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Foundation Course The course kicked off on the Friday night, 10 HebSAR team members in attendance, with an overview of Foundation syllabus and looking into gear ratings and safety factors. Saturday we looked at some basic knots, personal safety and in the afternoon used a small local crag for abseiling and some basic rigging. A comprehensive stake/hedgehog session was included as it
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was recognized as a potential key anchor system for the team and the day finished with operating Rescue 8′s, ID’s and a human lower/haul system. Level 1 Rigging Awareness Given the time commitment for the trainers to get out to Stornoway it was previously agreed to have a weekend course that covered the Foundation level but also engaged in some awareness of Level 1 Rigging. The windy and wet day started with stretcher rigging and barrow boy systems whilst taking shelter around the coastguard station that was the course base. Some indoor work around basic rigging systems and then off into the Atlantic gale to put the systems into practice. Our thanks to HebSAR for their enthusiasm, hospitality and paying the additional costs of getting the trainers across, and to the Coastguard station for providing a course venue.
SCOTTISH SCOTTISHMOUNTAIN MOUNTAINRESCUE RESCUEMay May2012 2012
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The Recent North Sea Helicopter Ditching by Jim Fraser and A N Other Introduction Previously, mountain rescue personnel have asked questions about the safety of helicopters following incidents involving North Sea service aircraft. It may seem to non-helicopter people that all major helicopter incidents are similar and why don’t they sort them out. Always something called the MRGB or MGB is involved. Here we try to provide some insight into what happened during the incident on the 10th May 2012. Summary of the Incident (Based on AAIB Special Bulletin S2/2012) On Thursday 10th May 2012, the EC225 helicopter G-REDW was on a scheduled flight from Aberdeen Airport to the Maersk Resilient platform, in the North Sea 150 nm east of Aberdeen. On board were two flight crew and twelve passengers. The helicopter was in the cruise at 3,000 ft with the autopilot engaged and at an approximate speed of 143 knots. 34 nm east of Aberdeen Airport, the crew were presented, almost simultaneously, with the multiple warnings. These included gearbox main oil system pressure warning, gearbox standby oil system pressure warning, metal chip detection in gearbox and gearbox oil temperature warning. The commander assumed control of the helicopter, reduced speed towards 80 knots, turned back towards the coast and initiated a descent. The crew activated the emergency lubrication system. During the descent, there was a warning of emergency lubrication failure, for which the associated procedure is to land immediately. The commander briefed the passengers and carried out a controlled ditching. The total flight time was 27 minutes.
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The helicopter remained upright, supported by the emergency flotation gear. After shutting down the engines and stopping the rotors, the crew and passengers evacuated the helicopter into one of the life rafts via the starboard cabin door. Six of the occupants were rescued from the life raft by a search and rescue helicopter, eight were transferred to a RNLI lifeboat.
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During the preliminary engineering investigation, the main gearbox was drained and was found to contain about 14 litres of fluid, which was predominantly oil but with evidence of some glycol. An initial visual inspection of the main gearbox has identified a 360° circumferential crack on the bevel gear vertical shaft, in the vicinity of the weld that joins the two sections. As a consequence of this failure, the main and standby oil pump gears ceased to be driven. During this inspection it was observed that the lower part of the vertical shaft was displaced downward by 6 mm. Investigation and analysis continue. MRGB The MRGB is the Main Rotor Gear Box. The helicopter MRGB is the pinnacle of gearbox design. It is important to realise the central role that the MRGB plays in the design and operation of every helicopter. It is completely fundamental. Every helicopter is an MRGB with some engines, rotors and essential services
such as lubrication pumps attached and somewhere for the people to sit underneath. The main vertical shaft drives the main rotors and without an MRGB there is no electrics, no hydraulics, no lift, no forward motion, nothing. Because any MRGB is a complex collection of gears and shafts under stress, a range of faults are possible. Some are easily managed, but others require immediate and sometimes dramatic pilot response that can give a melodramatic but misleading impression. Generally, every helicopter model is built around a unique design of MRGB. Often, this design will be an evolution from a previous model. Typically, the MRGB in the S-92 is based on the one that has seen decades of service in the S-70 (Blackhawk range). However, it may be based on it but it is not the same since the power levels are higher for the newer and heavier aircraft. Therefore, the MRGB for the S-92 is unique to the S-92. The history of the Puma family is different again. The Puma was the first successful French medium helicopter and has been around since 1965. It has decades of service, over a thousand aircraft, millions of flying hours (around half a million hours by the RAF alone), and inevitably a few prangs, the majority of which had nothing to do with the MRGB. Over those decades there have been 3 major upgrades of the original Puma, including the Super Puma (named Tiger in Bristow use), the latest being the EC225. This 225 version is a major re-design, and also distinguished by having a new rotorhead and 5 main blades compared with 4 in earlier variants. There has been wide publicity about the three recent accidents involving a Super Puma and two EC225s operated by Bond. I have looked at AAIB reports and found the following. One incident involved an optical illusion during an approach in difficult conditions. The other two involve the MGB and apparently different faults at opposite ends of the mainshaft. Loss of oil pressure was a common factor but AAIB the reports suggest different causes. Loss of MRGB oil pressure is not in itself a major emergency in many circumstances. The illustration shows a simplified Puma MRGB diagram. The recent incident involved failure of the bottom gear (pink) driving the oil pumps. The previous MRGB failure in 2009 (16 fatalities) involved the secondary epicyclic gear train at the top of the main shaft (brown and yellow), causing the casing to fail catastrophically and the main rotor to separate. The majority of MRGB problems are not catastrophic in any sense, assuming the pilot follows the appropriate drills. No helicopter design is immune to MRGB faults and many do not receive any publicity. Incidents with loss of MRGB oil pressure have also occurred with the S-92. In 2009, ‘Cougar 91’ crashed off Newfoundland with 1 survivor and 17 fatalities after MRGB oil pressure failure during cruising at 9000 feet. My enquiries indicate that such a failure was not likely to provide sufficient time for a helicopter to descend from 9000 feet given the standard of MRGB design in use at the time, and the associated cockpit warnings available. This makes the immediate ditching decision of the pilots during the recent EC225 incident all the more commendable.
Helicopter MRGB design has become inherently safer over the decades and the regulatory authorities will not certify a new design to fly unless key safety margins can be demonstrated. However, design perfection is impossible and human fallibility is also a fact of life. In the final analysis, providing accurate warnings to the pilot will always be necessary for the right emergency actions to be taken. It is better to have a short swim or a longer walk out on the very few occasions that this may prove necessary.
ALLAN FORBES AVIATION ART AVIATION ART Historic aeroplanes in Oils, Watercolours, Pastel or Pencil. SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2012
www.allanforbes.co.uk
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Police Reform and Mountain Rescue Andrew Todd ACPOS Mountain Rescue Manager As we all know the creation of a single Police Service of Scotland will come about on 1 April 2013. This will be the biggest change within Policing in Scotland, since the creation of the current Police Forces over 30 years ago. Our structures and certain areas of our service delivery will inevitably change, and some areas of our partnerships with others will also change. So how does the affect Mountain Rescue? Firstly, I think it is important to emphasise the point which Deputy Chief Constable Andy Cowie made to team leaders last year in Aberfeldy. “Mountain rescue isn’t broken”. All of us involved in the delivery of mountain rescue are extremely committed to the roles and responsibilities we have, and we should all be rightly very proud of the service which we provide to those in need of help. Given that mountain rescue isn’t broken, we need to be very careful that the reform of the Scottish Police Service doesn’t introduce change which damages the successful way in which we all deliver our respective roles. So how are we going to manage this change? Well, as you can imagine reforming the entire Scottish Police Service is a substantial undertaking, with some considerable risk to public safety if the Police don’t get this right. With this in mind, the reform will be incremental. Not everything can, or will, happen on 1 April, which I trust provides reassurance to team members that within mountain rescue we have no need to take risk by rushing proposals for deep seated or dramatic reform. As a consequence, it is the strategy of the Police that for 1 April I approach to mountain rescue will remain - as far as possible - similar to right now. However, to suggest that we can move through the Police reform process without changing anything, is probably wishful thinking, to say the least. Some change is clearly required, and I know from meeting and speaking with some Team Leaders - some change is being looked for.
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As we progress through the Police Reform timetable it appears that we can begin to identify the main points which I believe we require to develop to ensure we continue successfully on 1 April and beyond.
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• Insurance. A single policy for Scotland, which is simple, clear and unambiguous - but provides the correct level of cover for individuals volunteering on behalf of the Chief Constable, and training, is a basic fundamental requirement. Be assured this will be delivered. • Callout Protocols. Who is going to call the MRTs out? Will it remain the local police office for those teams that currently have that? Possibly, but some teams don’t have that arrangement and are looking for something better during callouts. • Incident coordination. I’ve received a number of comments that a more skilled and consistent Police officer would help when it comes to incident coordination. How do we deliver that and define their role? • Command Protocols. Who in the Police is going to be in Command of an incident. Will it be a local Inspector, an incident specialist, a senior officer in an incident control room? All of these models are currently followed
in Scotland. Who are you going to go to, within your area of Scotland, if there are local matters you need discussed between incidents? • Funding. There are different mechanism of support. Some teams receive direct cash funding, other receive support in less direct ways. • Statistics. Are we getting the right value from statistics, are they being gathered consistently and are the Police taking the correct level of responsibility for recording the response to an activity which they have responsibility for? There are undoubtedly many other opportunities, and currently unforeseen matters, which none of us will wish to ignore as we transition to 1 April 2013 and beyond. Whilst those that need to be resolved prior to 1 April 2013, will be, that are others which can be deferred for yet to be defined longer term ambitions about where we might be in 2, 3 or 5 years time. Look to Police reform as a two stage process. What do we need for 1 April and what do we want to be later. So how are we progressing? The Team Leaders meeting in April was a very valuable exercise and I’ve taken much from that. There is regular and ongoing communication between the MRCofS chair and myself to ensure we understand, indentify, and agree points to be progressed. With this information, my own carried knowledge of nearly 20 years as a mountain rescue team member and leader, and my knowledge of Police structures and command and control, I am currently in the process of defining exactly the tasks we need to progress. Once we have that to hand we will then simply work through each one to an agreed end state. Some of these tasks will need complete agreement and support of all teams, others might only need agreement from certain affected teams, and others may only need an awareness as it won’t actually impact how you do your portion of the service delivery. Whilst this may seem a very simplistic overview and plan, experience informs me that simple is best. Over the coming months you will all see and variously be involved in discussions around designing solutions to the main points identified, not just the short list above, but others we’ve yet to identify and agree. These are positive times and an opportunity to move forward in some key areas, without jeopardising what we do well. As ever, I am grateful to be contacted if any team, or any individual, has any thoughts, concerns or ideas regarding Police Reform as it affects mountain rescue. andrew.todd@grampian.pnn.police.uk
Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2012
Part of the commemorative celebrations related to the Queens Diamond Jubilee is the awarding of the Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal to current operational members of the statute and voluntary emergency services with 5 years service at February 2012. Through the MRCof S 533 medals were awarded to members of Scottish Mountain Rescue Teams. All teams were in receipt of their medals by the 11th of May, allowing good time for all recipients to have received their decoration before the official date for wearing the medal the 2nd June 2012 which is the commencement of the four days of the Queens Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
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Climbing Myth Busting George McEwan George McEwan Head of Mountaineering at Glenmore Lodge National Outdoor Training Centre and Technical Officer for The Association of Mountaineering Instructors. George is also a member of Glenmore Lodge MRT.
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2012
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ntroduction I’m sure we have all faced the situation as Instructors where someone has asked a question about a particular technique, use of a piece of equipment or an appropriate course of action to deal with a mountaineering situation. As Instructors I’d say we are all pretty good at giving the appropriate answer based on our experience, technical ability and judgment. However it’s often the case that myths, handed down through generation of gnarled outdoor professional to outdoor professional, seem to be exempt from this process. Often they are a short hand way of giving an easy answer for those less experienced to apply a quick fix – ‘Rules of Thumb’ – to what may in reality have a variety of different responses any of which depending on the actual situation may be appropriate. It is here that myths are born. So in this article I’m going to highlight a few of these Rules of Thumb which, arguably, have become myths, and see if they are workable and based on a reality, or whether they truly are myths. Now I’m not suggesting my answers or challenges to these myths are the ‘one and true way’ but I do hope to encourage us as Instructors to perhaps think a bit beyond the implications of our Rules of Thumb. I’ve highlighted three of the most common climbing myths that I’ve come across, their (possible) reasons
for being used and why I think (my opinion!) as to why they are myths. Oh and by the way it’s meant to be contentious – so if you feel suitably outraged feel free to write to the Editor.
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ever clip metal to metal This phrase is often used when someone goes to clip a karabiner to a karabiner. It’s usually preceded by a sucking of teeth noise and accompanied by a horrified look indicating surprise that anyone could be so reckless. So where does this come from? I’ve often heard it used when there is the possibility of the clipped together karabiners being dynamically loaded - such as would happen in a climbing fall. Where this would be an issue is if you were to clip one snap gate krab to another snap gate krab e.g. one quick draw to another. In this situation if the krabs were shock loaded there is the possibility of the krabs twisting against each other and cross loading each other. In such a situation the krabs could fail at the low load of 7Kn rather than it’s stated full load (typically around 22 to 23Kn). So in that case it has a ring of truth. However there are many situations in climbing and mountaineering where we habitually clip metal to metal with complete disregard to the ‘metal on metal’ mantra e.g. clipping a krab into a wire; clipping a krab
into a bolt eye; clipping a peg; clipping an ice screw. Well you get my drift. So as a Rule of Thumb I would suggest it’s very misleading. So should we clip krabs to krabs? Generally speaking I’m sure we would all agree that clipping a krab to a krab in a potential shock load situation is not a good thing to do for the reasons I outlined above. But what about in a static load situation? For example when clipping say a cows tail into a done up screw gate krab that’s clipped into the central point of an equalized sling? As long as the cows tail is tight between the climber who it is attached to, and the anchor point - tight enough that there is no chance of any major shock loading - then I would say it’s OK. A better course of action would be to clip the screw gate krab straight into the power point of the sling. So I would suggest that ‘never clip metal to metal’ is guff. We pretty much do it all the time. If you want a rule of thumb I’d suggest ‘never clip a snap link krab to a snap link krab in a potential shock loading situation’.
Although using thinner diameter ropes means the instructor towing less weight behind them on climbs, you have to balance out that weight saving with the ability of your clients to hold a potential fall. Thinner ropes require attention to the relative diameters of rope and belay plate slots. There will come a point, especially if you choose to use half ropes where both ropes have to be inserted into an appropriate belay device if the second is to have any chance of holding a leader fall. Then the issue comes down to how competent your client or clients are at belaying two ropes through a single plate. If both are novice clients then such a task might be awkward or challenging for them. Thinner ropes generally mean more stretch - this can be exciting for your seconding clients if one of them falls off and that individual gets to experientially discover what is meant by ‘rope elongation’. In saying that careful rope management e.g. keeping the ropes very tight can help mitigate how much stretch occurs should one or other fall off.
However in practice there are a few issues to consider.
Choosing a rope that has superior abrasion resistance
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lients should never second on a single half rope This is not nearly as popular as our first example but still you hear it being said – again cue sucking of teeth and surprised but disbelieving look. So what’s the basis for this one? Well having seconds follow their instructor up on a single half rope when using parallel rope techniques has always provoked a lot of discussion. Like all these things individual instructors tended to make their own call on a situational basis as to when this type of use was appropriate. Hence some thought it was OK, whilst others took the view that it should never be used.
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So what do the manufacturers say? Well it’s been this way for a long time (I first wrote about this issue back in 1997) but the three main manufacturers (Edelrid, Beal and Mammut) I checked out all had a statement in their description of rope use suggesting that such use was possible i.e. their rope product use instructions for ½ ropes states that it is OK to bring up two seconds each tied into one strand of a double rope.
One of the issues that crops up as an argument against using half ropes with clients is the risk of ropes being cut – although it should be borne in mind that any rope, single or half, can potentially be cut. I would suggest that some of the factors you might have to consider regarding this risk include the following: • How likely is this to happen, and if it does what are the consequences? If there is a risk of a stone fall (go to any crag, cliff, or mountain and you must have a stone fall risk, either natural or climber triggered), it probably does raise the issue would you want to be climbing in such a place? • How great is the risk? Low or high risk? Do you then balance that out against the advantages that using half ropes give you - such as speed of movement, ease of climbing for the leader etc. What about the second putting their ice tool through their rope? • Is the rope liable to run over an edge? In many cases this can either be avoided, or the risk lessened, by good rope work, but some rock types are more prone to nasty, sharp wee edges.
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or is edge tested (Edelrid for example market their ropes on their resistance to being cut when loaded over an edge – see www.edelrid.de ) might help mitigate any such fears of ropes being cut or damaged. Pit Schubert has an article on the UIAA website where he describes the adventure two of his friends had when one of their ‘twin’ ropes was partially cut by some stonefall high on an alpine rock climb. When he recreated the situation, by cutting a twin rope 1/3 of the way through, he found that it still managed to hold 8 falls! I think on balance (and taking into account the points raised above) the decision about whether to have your clients second on half ropes or single ropes hinges more on the actual aims of the climbing (broadly speaking Coaching Vs Guiding) and each individual client’s belay skills and experience. Skinnier ropes potentially make holding any leader fall more problematic - unless both ropes are inserted into a single belay plate, in which case the belay skills of the belayer are the main consideration. Like all these things it comes down to the instructor making an appropriate judgment based on the prevailing and unique situation. So this one is a myth – from the manufacturer’s perspective it’s OK to have your clients second on one half rope – just keep the rope tight!
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owlines are dangerous. Well if you teach people to use a bowline you are just a step away from drowning kittens for fun? Why are they dangerous? Well first off any knot if not tied properly is potentially dangerous. So where has this assertion that bowlines are dangerous come from? Well bowlines can come work themselves loose and become undone. In one scenario recounted to me the knot had been tied in a stiff new half rope and the stopper knot was half a double fishermans. The stopper came undone, the bowline loosened off and the brand new half rope now that it was untied just dribbled of the climbers harness. I suspect that this was mildly exciting when it happened. I’ve noticed myself that a half double fishermans used as the stopper knot on a bowline is prone to coming
undone. At that point it is easy enough for the bowline to undo itself or, potentially, if the bowline is subject to a large impact force with no stopper knot in place to catastrophically come undone. So there is a very real chance of a stopper knot tied in this fashion coming undone. A bowline without it’s stopper can fail when dynamically loaded. In saying that there are other stopper knots you can tie (I use a triple fishermans) that are less prone to coming undone. Tying a bowline in a climbing rope weakens it by approximately 37% compared to a Figure of Eight which will weaken the rope by around 30%. So even although both knots weaken the rope they both do so by a similar amount. In reality even in a Fall Factor 2 we will not generate enough load to have a bowline knot fail. Generally if ropes fail they do so by cutting, usually over a rock edge. So there is some truth to bowlines are dangerous but only if you don’t take care to tie a stopper knot that can easily undo. If you tie a stopper knot that is less prone to coming undone then I think the bowline is as safe or unsafe as any other climbing knot out there. So less a myth this one as there is some fact to underpin it – but I think if proper use is made of the bowline then it’s a very useful and safe knot to use. So there you have it - three climbing myths. You can clip metal to metal, we do it all the time in climbing. However in the context of clipping a karabiner to karabiner then yeah best take care. Static loads are OK but in the situation where shock loading may occur then it’s best avoided, especially if clipping a snap link to snap link. You can have your seconds follow you up a climb each tied into a half rope. Rope manufacturers state in their instructions that it is OK to do so - just mind that if your second or seconds fall off then there is a lot of stretch in that single half rope. And as for bowlines being dangerous, well they are no more or less dangerous than any other climbing knot out there – if you tie them properly and use a stopper knot that is not prone to coming undone. Enjoy your summer climbing!
SPOT Messenger Rescue?
About four o’clock in the afternoon of Thursday 16 February 2012 Grampian Police Control Room received a call from a concerned spouse. She had been tracking her husband’s progress on her iPad via his SPOT Messenger, and was now very worried as he had not moved from his location at the foot of some crags in the vicinity of Loch Etchachan (NO 006 991) for more than three hours. Meanwhile, members of the Braemar MRT were just returning to base after another, sadly fruitless, two day search in and around the Lairig Ghru for Grant Cunliffe. The now very familiar trudge from Derry Lodge to Corrour via Robber’s Copse and back had required a modicum more willpower than was usual it had been Donald’s fortieth the night before but was helped by the rapidly clearing clag, which rewarded us with remarkably good panoramas from the top of The Devil’s Point and Carn a’ Mhaim.
As the weather was fine, there was no known medical condition, and he was not actually overdue Kenny raised the possibility of an IT fault or a dropped device, however, the informant pressed for a MR response. She was clearly of a mind that her husband was injured or incapacitated at the foot of a cliff face. A Landrover with two team members was sent to Derry Lodge. ARCC were given a ‘heads up’ and Helicopter 137, which was training in Cairngorms, was re-designated Rescue 137 and tasked with searching the location given. A wee while later the hasty team in Glen Derry met a rather surprised
A few weeks later a follow-up call was made to the informant and a full explanation of what had actually occurred was arrived at. Prior to his trip up north from Cumbria the informant’s husband had quite sensibly replaced the batteries in his Spot Messenger, unfortunately, he had forgotten to switch it off meaning the batteries were dangerously low when he began his walk to Ben Macdui. When the batteries ran too low to update his location the software reverted to showing his last known location (NO 006 991). The informant then mistook her iPad’s screen refreshing every ten minutes to be the software updating his location. Finally, to make a perfect storm, he is red/green colour blind and could not distinguish between the green LED for good charge and the red LED for low charge. Like many items of new technology Spot Messengers, Personal Locator Beacons, and kindred devices are excellent pieces of kit, but must be used properly and fully understood by their operators to be truly useful. It is also worth noting that at no time was the subject below the crags at Corrie Sputan Dearg at the grid reference given but had walked down the path about a half kilometer north of that location. With the experience and knowledge gained from this incident our Rescue Co-ordinators will be able to question informants more robustly regarding the functionality and their understanding of how their device works, which will hopefully mitigate against such unnecessary calls in the future. The challenges and opportunities associated with these devices, much like the advent and hand-held GPS, will be learning process for us all. However, sharing information regarding our successes and failures will enable us to adapt to the new environment all the quicker. Braemar MRT Contact Malcolm MacIntyre Team Secretary: malcolmmacintyre@mac. com
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2012
As we came in through the door, on our return to the rescue centre, we could hear the phone ringing and Kenny, with his trademark boundless-enthusiasm, shot through to the office to take the call. After getting the initial update he contacted the concerned spouse who told him her fifty yearold, experienced, mountaineer husband was dropped off at Linn of Dee that morning, intending to walk alone up the Sron Riach to Ben Macdui and return via Glen Derry. (She was due to collect him at half past six that evening.) He was carrying a Spot Messenger set to transmit his location every ten minutes, which she was monitoring with a mapping programme on her iPad. To add to her obvious concern her husband had configured his Spot Messenger to bleep every forty-five minutes to remind him to send a canned ‘everything fine’ message: she had not received any of these for over two hours.
and bemused subject walking-off, and blissfully unaware that he was a missing man. He still had his Spot Messenger, which was apparently working normally, and checks, carried out on his arrival back a the rescue centre, suggested the device appeared to be working properly. However, the battery did go dead later that evening. Following a hot-debrief, or more accurately a tepid-debrief, over a cup of tea and a fine piece or two the husband undertook to consult the manufacturer regarding what appeared to be a technical issue.
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Pete Coulson, TVMRT
As part of our links with Kopavogur Search and Rescue Team in Iceland, 5 of Tweed valley Mountain Rescue Team members visited Iceland at Easter for a week to experience the country and learn about their team. This trip was made possible thanks to twining between Kopavogur Search and Rescue Team and the Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team who got together when celebrating their 40th anniversaries several years ago. Regular exchange visits are now used as a way of sharing ideas and best practice between teams. Every Easter the Kopavogur team takes part in a 3 day trip to test and utilise their equipment in the very dynamic Icelandic back-country. This year they planned a multi day trip over the Myrsdaljokull ice cap visiting a mountain hut and testing vehicles and equipment to the limits along the way. We were lucky enough to be invited along on this trip.
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2012
Ragna and Valli from the Kopavogur team who had visited TVMRT last year organised our visit and we were incredibly well looked after in the homes of team members. Our first day was a whistle-stop tour around the capital Reykjavik including visits to ICE-SAR (Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue), the Icelandic emergency control centre and the Coastgaurd base where we were given a personal tour of their $25m search plane (paid for before the financial problems!). Like Scotland the team is made up of volunteers but they are also integral to Iceland’s civil response and
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can be tasked with all sorts of civil contingency as well as mountain rescue. They play an important role in volcanic emergencies, floods and earthquakes as well as providing
an inshore boat rescue service. Day 2 and our trip started. The team use an inacredible array of equipment including 2 Land Cruisers with 42” wheels, 2 snow cats and 5 skidoos and the whole lot is carried to the start point by a caravan of trucks. The Myrsdaljokull ice cap is in the south of the island and will be remembered by many as the source of the air traffic problems a couple of years ago when the Eyjafjallajokull (no we still can’t pronounce it either!) volcano erupted. The ice cap is accessed from the coast up a dirt track before becoming snow and ice and rising to a height of 1400m over the top of the still active Mount Katla. The weather is claggy and warm with zero visibility and we could easily have been on the Cairngorm plateau on a “typical” Scottish mountain day. We arrive at the hut in the evening where the skiddoo team are brave enough to allow the TVMRT members a go on their precious machines. The next day is an overland trip travelling across 30km of central Iceland and pushing their vehicles to the limits. Up steep slopes, through rivers, over snow
.....Take 2
bridges. In a rough count the vehicles were bogged down on at least 20 occasions. This does not seem to phase them though, in fact once the drivers realise they are bogged down a little smile appears! This is the fun bit for them. The end point was a gorgeous hot pool where everyone could relax in the perfect temperatures looking out over a snow covered landscape. Not only was this a wonderful experience but it gave us a taste of the Icelanders passion for their “hot pots” which are an integral part of their way of life. Day 4 sees us heading back over the icecap and includes a visit to the crater of the Fimmvorouhals volcano where the ground is still hot to the touch and the air steams. Our bags
with twin 250hp engines and a top speed of 45knots. The day ends with a get together of many of the team and the families who have been hosting us. A BBQ on the balcony, which seems to be an Icelandic pass time even in the winter and just as we are going to bed a phone call - “the northern lights are out”. We scramble for a dark spot to witness a fitting end to our incredible trip.
filled with warm rocks we head down to the lowlands and a stay in one of the many summer houses that every family in Iceland retires to for their vacation.
The final day in Reykjavik gives us a chance to see the Nautical side of the Kopavogur team and we experience an exciting ride in their 10m RIB. This is the local search and rescue boat for Reykjavik and functions in a similar way to the RNLI in the UK. Their boat is particularly impressive
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2012
The last day of travel brings a visit to one of the many glaciers that stretch down towards Iceland’s coast. Our guides take us up on to the snout of the Solheimajokull where we practice some crampon work on “real” ice as well as ice climbing out of a crevasse. Its a picturesque day with visits to some outstanding waterfalls including one that you can stand behind as it thunders down.
The Icelanders are a generous, determined and patient people and share many similarities with the Scots. In our experience they have a similar sense of humour, a strong sense of community and a fascination with the weather - which is not dissimilar to Scotland! Our thanks to the wonderful hosts and the friendliness that we were shown throughout. We look forward to the next exchange when members of the Kopavogur team will visit the Borders in 2013.
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Force Excellence Award Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team (along with Borders Search and Rescue Unit and the Borders Underwater Search Team) was nominated by officers in G-Division, Lothian & Borders Police, for a Force Excellence Award 2011 in the category of Valued Service The Force Excellence Awards recognise special achievements within L&B Police and the Awards Ceremony was held in Force Headquarters, Edinburgh on 25th April, hosted by Chief Constable David Strang.
Mountain Rescue Team please log onto www.tweedvalleymrt.org. uk Further Information: For further information regarding this press release please contact: Dave Wright, Team Press Officer by email or call 07967 208 029 press@tweedvalleymrt.org.uk
The team was honoured to be recognised with an award in the category of Valued Service and even more honoured that the three rescues teams together were awarded overall “winner” in the category. Steve Penny, Team Leader TVMRT said, “We are grateful to L&B Police and the Chief Constable for recognising the work of the volunteers in the teams in the Borders. We have been actively assisting the police and supporting the communities in the Lothians and the Borders for just under 50 years (50th Anniversary in 2013) and we look forward to continuing that support and the excellent relationships with the police as we move forward”. Editors Notes TVMRT: Tweed Valley MRT have 40 team members who are unpaid but very highly trained volunteers, on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to render assistance to lost or injured people in mountainous or remote areas. To date the Team have responded to 11 incidents in 2012 included the high profile rescue of a missing person who had been overcome by carbon monoxide poising in his tent. For more information or to find out how you can support Tweed Valley
From Left, Stuart Fuller-Shapcott (BSARU), David Fuller-Shapcott (BUWST) Rhona Morrison (TVMRT) Steve Penny (TVMRT) and Brian Tyson (BSARU)
Garden Open Day Donation Malvina Dwyer Quarrybank Cottage, Falkirk Road, Avon Bridge, Falkirk.
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2012
Tel 01324 861337
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Proceeds to: 50 % MRCof S 50 % Disabled Children The Garden has been: • Published in ‘Gardens of Scotland’ by Ken Cox. • 1st Overall four times in the last five years in the Falkirk and District Garden Competition. • Featured in the BBC TV Beechgrove Garden. • Consists of ¾ acre terraced, formal, informal
woodland and wild.
Supported by the Order of St.John
St. John Car Sticker A car sticker design has now been produced by St.John with the logos of both St. John and Mountain Rescue Scotland. (Below) It is with a printer now for production and it is hoped this will be to the mutual benefit of both our organisations.
Supporting Scottish
Mountain Rescue stjohnscotland.org.uk 0131 556 8711
Outdoor Pursuits Show
Unjustifiable Risk - The Story of British Climbing Simon Thompson Cicerone Unjustifiable Risk is more than just a historical scan of the achievements of mountaineers. It outlines the socio-historical, economic and cultural background conditions that have shaped the sport. Simon Thompson presents a reflection of how the wider social changes that have occurred in British society; class, gender, nationalism, war, etc. have impacted on the climbing community. This wellcrafted chronicle is a very rewarding and informative read. Simon Thompson started climbing at the age of 16 and has been fascinated by the sport ever since. A former director of Anglo American and chairman of Tarmac, he has lived in seven different countries and currently sits on the boards of companies headquartered in Sweden, the UK and the US, but he continues to escape to the mountains whenever time permits.
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2012
The Outdoor Pursuits show (21-22 April) held in the prestigious venue of Ingleston Showground main hall attracts a very wide range of outdoor enthusiasts from the casual visitor to the serious expeditionary. Hosting not only a wide range of outdoor activity related stands the Show also features displays of hands on displays and presentations all of which are included in the exhibition ticket. An invitation to the MRCof S to exhibit free of charge together with the opportunity to present one of the daily half hour talks at the Show was accepted by the Committee, the option of a corner stand being beneficial to the frontage of the stand. 2012 being the second year of the event the show attracted a considerable increase in numbers from the previous year the MRCof S stand benefiting from this increase with a steady stream of interested members of the public taking time to chat and discuss their “hill activity� plans and avail themselves of the selection of information and instructional leaflets freely available. In addition a number of queries re making donations and leaving legacies to MR were discussed - so all in all a most worthwhile two days of excellent PR, and grateful thanks are extended to the organisers for the opportunity to present the Mountain Rescue service to the wider public.
GFM4/Rev14
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