What to do if you get into trouble on the fells

Nobody plans to need us. The people we carry off the hill are overwhelmingly sensible, experienced walkers who had one bad moment. So this is the advice we give friends and family — for the moment a day on the fells stops going to plan.

First: stop early, not late

Most serious situations start as small ones that were pushed on with. A "we'll sort it at the top" niggle, light fading faster than expected, one member of the group slowing badly. The single best decision on the hill is the early one: stop, get out of the wind, get warm layers on, and think while you still have daylight and phone battery.

If someone is hurt

Get the group sheltered and the casualty insulated from the ground — more heat is lost downward than to the air. Note exactly where you are before you call: a grid reference if you can (the OS Locate app gives one instantly, offline, free), or use the what3words app if not. Then:

Dial 999. Ask for Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Answer everything calmly: location, what happened, casualty's age and condition, group size, your kit, your phone number and battery level. Then keep the phone free and switched on. We will call you back — a missed callback because you were phoning relatives costs real time.

If you are lost

Do not keep moving to "see if it gets better", especially downhill — in the Lakes, descending blind funnels you towards crags and gills. Stop, shelter, and work the problem from your map. If you genuinely cannot relocate, make the 999 call sooner rather than later. Nobody on this team has ever been annoyed by an early call. The callouts that end badly are the late ones.

What happens next

You will get a callback from the team leader, who may ask you to put your torch on and flash it when you hear shouting. A first party travels light and fast to reach you; the stretcher party follows. From the phone ringing, our average is 27 minutes to a team on the hill — but a remote corner of the patch can still mean a long, cold wait. That is why the shelter and insulation matter.

There is no charge, ever, and no judgement. We would rather come out to a hundred embarrassed walkers than be an hour late for one who did not want to make a fuss.