Today at an incredibly early hour (of 05:30 in the morning!), 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.
The Pike View Hike is an annual one day long hillwalking 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 and Limbrick areas.
Routes vary tremendously with regards to terrain, with the weather this year being very dry and warm, ideal for all the young walkers.
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 two team Landrover Mountain Rescue Ambulances, who provided immediate on hand Standby Rescue cover and first aid provision.
In total, 80 teams took part, with a total of 320 young people on the hill.
As it turned out, aside from one accident requiring an ambulance, (see website report on Incident 54) there was only a handful of entrants requiring nothing more than plasters for the odd minor injury to upset a yet again superbly and very safely organised event.