Today at an early hour a small number of team members journeyed to Bibbys Farm, Limbrick, the campsite of the Bolton Scout Trust, to provide the kit checking team for the 06:00 start of this year’s Pike View Hike, celebrating eleven years of this successful and ever larger by the year Scout challenge event.

The Pike View Hike is an annual one day long hill walking and navigation challenge walk of varying lengths, depending on age and ability for Scout Association teams aged between 8-18 from all around the country, based upon the western part of the West Pennine Moors, principally the Rivington, Brinscall and Limbrick areas.

Routes vary tremendously with regards to terrain, with the weather this year being relatively warm, with clear skies but still wet underfoot due to the recent heavy rain showers.

The event organising group is drawn mainly from experienced Scout Leaders in the Bolton South Scout District, including Bolton MRT team members Steve Fletcher and Mike Marsh, who were also on hand throughout the day alongside a total of ten other team call out list members in their own vehicles and Team Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulance ‘BM1’, who together provided immediate on hand Standby Rescue cover and first aid provision.

In total, 350 young people took part on the hill enjoying the challenges of our local moorlands.

During the course of this event, the team responded to one medical call upon its services, and numerous minor requests to ‘find’ Scout parties temporarily unaware of their exact location!

(A huge support operation takes place to cover this excellently organised event, including the services of RAYNET)