Mountain Sense is an organisation providing mountain safety training and fund-raising challenge events. A little over 4 months ago now, in response to the growing number of mountain accidents in the Lake District, we launched a mountain safety awareness campaign here in Keswick.
This was simply a series of awareness posters, strategically placed at key locations around the town. The distinctive posters gave a list of what walkers should carry whilst in the fells this winter. As a result of feedback, we decided to produce a small laminated card that people could take away and keep for future reference. As members of Keswick Mountain Rescue Team and Mountaineering Instructors we felt that the walking public could be better informed in the areas of mountain safety, clothing, equipment and emergency procedures.
We underestimated just how popular the cards would be. In the first three weeks alone, over 1800 cards were taken from just ten stands located in shops, pubs, hotels and the tourist information centre. Initially, we funded and produced 5000 cards, believing that this would be more than enough for the foreseeable future.
Planning ahead, we next went about seeking a sponsor to contribute to the cost of a further batch in return for displaying their logo on the cards. Despite plenty of support and encouragement from the outdoor industry, we failed to find an organisation willing to be a sponsor and support the safety campaign.
The Mountain Logbook
Our next tack was to think of another means of funding the cards. We came up with the idea of The Mountain Logbook – a multi-function tool aimed at hill walkers looking for a definitive place to record their days out in the hills. It is comprised of 100 pages to log completed walks; tear out route cards to leave details about you and your intended route with someone expecting your return; the no nonsense guide to mountain safety, clothing, equipment and emergency procedures; and lastly, complete information tables of the most popular groups of UK mountains, including The Wainwrights, where “peak baggers” can plan and chart their progress.
The Mountain Logbook is available from outdoor retailers in Keswick and online at www.themountainlogbook.co.uk
We hope The Mountain Logbook will prove to be sufficiently popular to generate a surplus which can fund the continued production of the Mountain Safety Card. The motivation behind this whole scheme is to try and help people to make better decisions before and during a trip into the hills. We want to see the number of accidents in the mountains drop and the number of Mountain Rescue call-outs reduce also.
Mountain Sense will have a Mountain Safety Tent on the Activity Base during the festival. Come and talk to the team for up to date advice and guidance on all your mountain activities. Learn vital skills to keep you safe and on the right route in the hills – even in poor visibility! Have a go at learning some ropework skills or knots used by climbers and scramblers. Take part in our exciting free competition to win great prizes.
We are taking part in the Keswick Mountain Festival in order to increase awareness of mountain safety issues. During the course of the week we are running a range of activities from rock climbing to mountain navigation workshops and even climbing the highest mountain in England! To encourage safe participation and promote good practice our activities are free – we merely suggest a donation to Keswick Mountain Rescue Team.
Chris Harling & Chris Gillyon
Mountain Sense
Keswick, Cumbria, UK.
www.mountainsense.co.uk
www.themountainlogbook.co.uk
info@mountainsense.co.uk
Office: 017687 80312
