Aberdyfi Mountain Rescue Team visit Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor Dolgellau
On Tuesday, October 11, the Aberdyfi Mountain Rescue Team came over to the college to teach the Sports and Outdoor Activities students about their work.
The Aberdyfi Mountain Rescue Team provides a Search and Rescue service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in wild and remote locations throughout South Snowdonia and Mid Wales. The team consists of a dedicated group of volunteers who are funded entirely by charitable donations. The team members come from a wide variety of backgrounds, such as Artists, Mountain Instructors, Engineers and Scientists to name but a few. All give a great deal of their time to train and provide a volunteer search and rescue service day or night, throughout the year.
The purpose of the visit was to teach our students on our Outdoor courses about the important work of the Rescue Team. There was an extremely interesting presentation by three members of the Rescue Team, before the students moved on to use mountain rescue equipment, and how to save a life in a safe way in some of the most remote places in the country.
Lara Abbott, a foundation degree student on our Sports and Outdoor Activities course in Dolgellau said.
" I made the decision to stay local, here in my home area to study for my degree because everything we need on a course like this is right here on our doorstep. The mountains, the lakes, the opportunities are endless.”
Lara added.
"A perfect example of this is the annual visit of the Aberdyfi Mountain Rescue Team to the college. It is an extremely effective way for us to be able to learn about their work, to understand the challenges they face as they try to keep our mountains safe. For me personally, I enjoyed learning about their work and having the opportunity to use some of the equipment. I am really considering applying for a place as a member of the Rescue Team in the coming years."
Huw Evans from the Aberdyfi Mountain Rescue Team said.
"The team serves a wide geographical area of remote and wild countryside within Snowdonia and Mid Wales National Park for which it provides a Search and Rescue service. Within the area there are a number of large mountains, including Cadair Idris, Aran Fawddwy and Phumlumon. We are constantly looking for volunteers to join us, so being able to come to the college like this to teach the students about our work is extremely important."
Huw Evans added
"The partnership between the college and us is a very important one, and one that we would like to develop in the coming years. It is clear that the students on the Sports and Outdoor Activities course have the initial skills to be able to be mentored to become members of the Aberdyfi Mountain Rescue Team."
If you would like to learn more about our Outdoor courses at the College, click HERE
