Rescue teams 'stretched further than ever'

Mountain rescuers have said they are "stretched further than ever" and on track for their busiest year on record.

Keswick Mountain Rescue Team (KMRT) said August was its busiest month ever with 30 rescues and it had been out on a total of 136 rescues so far in 2026.

KMRT said it "echoed" recent comments by Eryri mountain rescuers who called for walkers to take "personal responsibility" for their actions after it too posted its highest rescue figures to date.

Volunteers said while they "loved seeing people out enjoying the beautiful fells", many callouts could have been "easily prevented with just a bit of extra planning, a reliable navigation backup and the right gear for changing conditions".

Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team posted its rescue figures, which are projected to hit 440 in 2026 on Facebook, saying that the "trend is not sustainable".

KMRT said volunteers were "experiencing the exact same trend" in the Lake District, with 129 callouts in 2025.

"The sheer volume of callouts means our volunteers are being stretched further than ever before," the post on Facebook by KMRT said.

In 2025, both the Keswick and Coniston teams in Cumbria said they had their busiest year ever, responding to more than 200 incidents between them.

Teams in Llanberis pointed to social media, explaining that images and videos could make difficult and technical routes such as Crib Goch "look like just another route to the summit".

Similarly in the Lake District, KMRT said one of its notorious accident black spots was a gully off Blencathra's Sharp Edge, a graded technical scramble.

Earlier in September, volunteers were called to help two 18-year-olds who "took a tumble" when they decided not to continue with the scramble and descended down the gully.

"Every callout takes our team members away from their jobs, comfort, and families... as the days get shorter and autumn weather sets in, we want to make sure everyone gets home safely," KMRT said.

Digital creator James Thompson, who lives in Kendal, believes social media "cannot be blamed for people getting in trouble through a lack of preparation or common sense".

"Ultimately, people still have a personal responsibility to research a route properly, understand their own ability and make sensible decisions before heading into the mountains," he explained.

He added content creators had a "responsibility to communicate risk properly" so people understand the "experience, equipment and preparation certain routes require".

Over in Weardale and Teesdale, mountain rescuers said last year was "very busy" with 72 callouts, but this year had been "quite quiet" with 22.

Team leader John Little said: "There aren't the same range of social media draws out into the wild areas of County Durham and you can still do a full day's walk without seeing another person.

"While the High Pennines can be very hazardous because of their remoteness, they don't have the same potential for problems as the craggy hills of North Wales and the Lake District."

However, Little said the team still had "many of the same challenges as Keswick and Llanberis", with fundraising and volunteers balancing time with maintaining occupations and family lives.

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