Today team members Nick Berry and Alistair Greenough completed a weekend of training which commenced on Friday, 4th May, in Saddleworth, Oldham, on a residential rope rescue seminar hosted by Oldham Mountain Rescue Team at the Boarshurst Centre. The seminar is open to members of Mountain/Cave/Search and Rescue Teams and our colleagues in the Statutory Emergency Services and has run yearly for approximately the past 26 years, all the catering and instruction being very ably and very professinonally provided by the Oldham team members.

In the recent past current still serving Call Out list members Elaine Gilliland, John Fletcher, Chris Greenhalgh, Gyles Denn and Neil Ramsbottom have all attended this fantastically well run weekend, and have returned to the team fully enthused. (Please also see website ‘news’ report dated Sunday 29th May 2011)

There follows Team member Nick Berry’s account of the weekend;

“On Friday 4th of May Very experienced team member Alistair Greenough and team Equipment officer Nick Berry travelled to Saddleworth in Oldham for a residential rope rescue seminar hosted by Oldham Mountain Rescue Team, at the Boarshurst Centre. The seminar is open to members of Mountain/Cave/Search and Rescue Teams and our colleges in the Emergency Services and has run yearly for approximately the past 29 years, all the catering and instruction is provided by the Oldham team members.

On arrival at the Boarshurst centre we were assigned our beds and teams, we were to be in for the weekend, 29 delegates from mountain rescue to the police turned up for the Oldham Weekend. Once we were booked in we were ferried to Oldham Mountain Rescue Team Headquarters (which is conveniently attached to the Cross Keys Public House!) for an introduction and safety briefing for the two days ahead. Needless to say that once the briefing was over the Oldham Team members and course delegates managed to find their way to the pub before getting their heads-down for the early 7am start on Saturday.

After having a full cooked breakfast (courtesy of the Oldham Team members) the delegates gathered for a briefing before heading off to the Upperwood crag for the first practical session of the weekend. On arrival at the crag the 29 delegates were split into four groups Green Team,Gold Team Red Team, and Blue Team for the ‘round robin’ sessions consisting of single man rescue, strop rescue, horizontal stretcher lower and single point cableway lower. At each section the group were given comprehensive instruction on the rescue techniques by the Oldham Team members. At the end of a very tiring cold and windy day the delegates were treated to a three course meal, again cooked by the Oldham Team Members. After a shower and a change once again delegates were transported to the Oldham HQ (pub) for an informal de-brief, and slide show from the days events, followed by a few well earned pints.

Sunday morning came with a really sunny day and once filled up with another full cooked breakfast the course delegates made their way to Rob’s Rocks for the final day of the course. Oldham Team members had been up bright and early to set up multiple casualty rescue situations. Delegates within their teams then had to affect a rescue using the techniques learnt on Saturday. The day ended with an impressive 200m+ cable way lower across Wilderness Gully.

Nick and Alistair would like express their thanks to the Oldham Team, the staff at the Cross Keys and the Boarshurst Centre for making this fantastic weekend possible.”

This list shows the full breakdown of the Teams involved with the Oldham Weekend:

• Bolton Mountain Rescue Team
• Kinder Mountain Rescue Team
• Woodhead Mountain Rescue Team
• Exmoor Search & Rescue Team
• Bucks Search & Rescue Team
• Longtown Mountain Rescue Team
• Irish Garda
• Dutch Royal Marine
• Dutch Fire Service
• Civil Defence Scotland
• Thames Valley Police