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TRAINING
Every team member is expected to have hillwalking skills for any season and any time of day. They must be able to communicate by radio, search complex ground, deploy by helicopter, give first aid, use a mountain rescue stretcher and carry heavy loads over rough ground.
The Mountain Leader award has become a part of mountain rescue training in recent years because it requires high standards in appropriate skills such as navigation, security on steep ground, weather and group management. Participation in the Mountain Leader award scheme is encouraged by Kintail MRT but is not mandatory.
The team runs monthly training exercises to enable team members to maintain and advance their skill levels. A typical year's training programme includes winter skills, navigation, helicopter training, first aid, stretcher rigging, radio procedures, night navigation and search techniques. We will post a few photographs of what we get up to during training exercises.
One of the great things about Kintail MRT exercises is that they happen in such beautiful places. Although the old saying "it isn't training if it isn't raining" has been heard around here occasionally, when it's nice, it's very very nice.
As well as training on the popular hills of the area we also go to moorland areas for navigation and search practice, to popular beauty spots and landmarks where members of the public may be at risk, and to any location that offers us useful training.
An essential part of our training is working with other organisations. We try to get together with our neighbours the Glenelg, Torridon, Dundonnel and Skye teams. We also train with RAF helicopters and MRT, Coastguard helicopters and auxiliaries, and the Kyle Lifeboat. An annual training seminar enables us to meet and train with most of the other MRCofS teams.