This very wet ‘summer’ evening twenty six Team Call Out list members, in our four Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulances and our Team Minibus, provided our usual standby rescue cover for the annual Aggies Staircase Fell Race, organised by Darwen Dashers Running Club, which takes in a route over Darwen Moor and the Jubilee Tower, including the very steep path section above Stepback Brook, known as Aggies Staircase.

Throughout the last few days very heavy rain showers had soaked all the tracks and paths on this moorland route, and in a continuation of the weather we have now come to expect, light rain rapidly turning to heavy rain greeted the race start at 19.15hrs, one welcome side effect of the rain was that it kept the midges at bay. (Except for those seemingly genetically immune to rain!)

These conditions gave a wet race for the 181 x competitors taking part, in an event which was on line to pass very quickly, and then we were informed of an incident to a competitor.

A very wet rescue then took place, (See Incident Report 43-2012)

Our usual post race cover meet in the Royal Arms Public House, Tockholes, where we always enjoy chip barms and a pint had to be abandoned as we returned to our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ to start drying a veritable mountain of soaked wet through team kit from the rescue and standby race cover. (Webmaster; it was just starting to dry out on Friday evening, 22nd June!)