From an idea discussed between our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE and our Training Officer Alistair Greenough, this evenings training exercise was planned by our Deputy Team Leader Chris Greenhalgh, to test members hill fitness and their moorland night time navigation skills.

Members present were split in to five parties, and were transported from the Hordern Stoops meeting point to various drop off points between Piccadilly Farm, Roddlesworth and the San Marino Restaurant, Belmont, and Alance Bridge, Yarrow Reservoir, with instructions to navigate back to Hordern Stoops as quickly as possible.

Hill mist gave way to colder conditions as the exercise progressed, with the parties navigating back along Redmonds Edge / Spitlers Edge, the River Yarrow valley, Sharples Higher End and over Winter Hill, all back to Hordern Stoops.

By 22.30hrs the last party had returned to the Control / RVP point at Hordern Stoops, situated at the high point on the moorland road between Rivington and Belmont.

The exercise involved our Deputy Team Leader Chris Greenhalgh in radio control, and posing various questions regards navigation to the hill parties, and team members Dave Cook and Mike Marsh ferrying out the members to their various start points.

Out on the moors in the five parties were our seven probationary members, trainee team member Gary Melia and twelve full Call Out list members, plus Trailing Search Dog Boris with his handler Steve Nelson.

All then retired to the Belmont Bull for a post exercise drink, and the inevitable discussions on which party this evening had the longest route to do, the greatest height climbed, the wettest moor sections to cross or the boggiest bogs to wade through!

This same evening, team member Paul Brain known to our readers as one of our webmasters, was at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ uploading more pictures to some of our already published website ‘News’ reports, so its worth a look back over the last few days news to see the new pictures.