On Sunday 13 September, Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team received a call from Cumbria Police to help a woman who had become stuck on steep, loose ground above Greenside Mines. Ten team members were deployed on to the fell, quickly located her and helped her back to the main path and down to the valley bottom.

In the early hours of Saturday 12 September 2026, at 00:15, Cumbria Police requested the assistance of Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team to help two men who had got into difficulty descending Nethermost Pike in the dark without torches, and had become stuck on precipitous ground above Eagle Crag.

The Team deployed four volunteer team members in two Team Land Rovers up into the Grisedale valley, where the casualties were spotted from below the crag by the light of their phone. Team members then ascended around Eagle Crag and on to Nethermost Ridge, quickly found the pair and guided them safely back down to Grisedale and the waiting Land Rovers.

The Team would like to remind hill goers that the nights are already drawing in. Start early, plan your route according to your group’s experience, and always pack a map and torch.

On Wednesday 15th July at 14:50, Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team were called to help a young woman and her partner who had left the path on Striding Edge on Helvellyn, to try and find an easier way down than the grade 1 scramble. They had tried to descend directly towards Red Tarn and had become stuck in steep and loose terrain.

Once established that the couple were otherwise fit and well, but were unable to move back up or carry on down from their position, four Team members were deployed to help. The couple were located and assisted down to regain the main path. The rescue involved five Team members and took 3.5 hours to complete.

On Saturday afternoon at 14:45 Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team were advised by Cumbria Police of 3 walkers stuck on Striding Edge.
A team of 4 volunteer rescuers got ready to head out.
After a short discussion with one of the group stuck on Striding, and being informed it would take some time for the team to get to them, they decided to carefully make their way back down.They were advised to head on the path to Red tarn, where the Team would meet them.
A small team were sent up locate them and were able to find them by Red Tarn and were safely guided back down to Greenside.
This rescue lasted 3.5 hours and involved 6 volunteer rescuer

Just after midnight on Wednesday 17th September North West Ambulance Service contacted Patterdale MRT to alert them to three young men who had become benighted and crag-fast on Striding Edge.
Six team members were tasked and escorted the young men down from the fell.
This incident involved 7 personnel and lasted 4 hours

On Tuesdays the 8th of April 2025 the team dealt with 2 call outs back to back.  The first call out came in at around 1700hrs regards a walker who got themselves stuck on Dove Crag. The walker had taken a wrong turn and ended up stranded in steep rocky terrain. A small team of 5 went out and located the walker safe and well, but stuck. The team safely got the walker out of their precarious location and was then escorted down to the valley. Then at 2100hrs when the team were packing their kit away a second call out was received regards a family who were stranded in the dark on a track on Gowbarrow Fell. The family were unable to continue by themselves to the Aira Force carpark due to a combination of darkness, rough terrain and some mobility issues. 4 team members when out and located the family quickly and assisted them safely back down to their car in the car park.

Cumbria Police alerted the Team to a woman in her mid-50’s with an underlying medical condition who had become cragfast while scrambling with her partner on Striding Edge. After a brief phone conversation with her partner, it was clear that she would require stretcher evacuation.

Due to the casualty’s location, at the far end of the Edge, part way up the exit ramp onto Helvellyn, and the woman’s condition, the assistance of an HMCG helicopter was requested. As darkness fell, Team Members started the climb to the casualty’s location. The rescue helicopter made several attempts to access Red Tarn but low cloud and the lack of wind prevented it from gaining access, so the helicopter returned to its Caernarfon Base.

Team Members reached the woman and her partner at about 18:30 hours. They assessed her condition, packaged her in a stretcher and lowered her down the south east edge of the Helvellyn headwall. Once at the bottom the stretcher was carried, sledged and wheeled around the tarn and then down to Greenside Mines.

Cumbria Police tasked the Team with investigating the area of Dove Crag following reports of an abandoned climbing rope. A small party made their way to scene where no signs of any abandoned kit could be found. The climbing rope had likely been used by a party to abseil off the crag once they had completed their route.

The police had alerted Keswick MRT to a call from a 28 year old man who had strayed from his route and become cragfast. The incident was passed to Patterdale as Eagle Crag is in our patch. The Team was surprised to find a group of three people apparently stuck on a ledge about three quarters of the way up the crag.

Team Members ascended the fell to the top of the crag and set up a twin rope rescue system to enable a rescuer to be lowered to the party. It transpired that, following the man’s emergency call, his shouts for help had been heard by two climbers who then went to his aid. The Team hauled the scrambler to the top of the crag, whilst the climbers were happy to abseil off unaided.

Uninjured, the scrambler was left to complete his walk.

The Team was called to assist three people in their early 20’s who were cragfast on Striding Edge. The casualties were uninjured but cold and tired when found sheltering at the Bad Step. They were short-roped off the Bad Step and guided to safer ground, before making their way to Glenridding.