We were called by the PDMRO Duty Controller with a request to assist four walkers who were in difficulty on the Kinder plateau in bad weather. The group had ascended from Edale earlier in the day but were now struggling to continue in the conditions.

We used the PhoneFind tool to pinpoint their location which was some 500m away from the What 3 Words location we had been passed. After giving them a reassuring phone call and asking them to huddle down together to try and retain some warmth, two fast response parties were despatched from our Landrovers at Edale Cross. They took the high ground route in across country along the watershed past the 636 spot height to locate the walkers. A third hill party were also sent onto the edge path to provide any support required if the situation deteriorated.

The four walkers were warmed with spare clothing and hot drinks under our shelter, then slowly walked back to the vehicles at Edale Cross. They were driven down to our base in Hayfield for some warm drinks and biscuits whilst we assessed their condition again. Once they had warmed up sufficiently we returned them to their car in Edale.

As those who heard about Vernon Kay’s crossing of Kinder Scout a few days before on his epic Children in Need challenge, it can be a wild place when the weather deteriorates. Our four walkers discovered just how inhospitable it can be.

• Time: 18:51
• Type: Mountain incident
• Location: Kinder Scout plateau
• Team members: 30
• Duration: 4.5 hours
• Volunteer hours: 135
• Total volunteer hours for the year: 2,331

Neil Woodhead, Team Leader