Mountaineering is an exhilarating and adventurous outdoor sport enjoyed by many. With a vast array of mountains and hills to explore throughout the UK, all with their own unique terrain and challenges, it can also prove a dangerous pastime. The volunteers at Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation devote themselves to ensuring the safety of those who venture into the Ogwen Valley hills and valleys and find themselves in distress. We are proud of our long-standing partnership to assist the team in their life-saving mission.
About Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation
Ogwen Valley has long been known for its magnificent views, attracting rock climbers, scramblers, mountaineers and hillwalkers from far and wide. Each area is made up of several different crags, buttresses, ridges or faces, making it a perfect location for first-timers and experienced climbers alike.
Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation is one of the busiest mountain rescue teams in the UK, assisting police and ambulance authorities with rough terrain search and rescue in Northern Snowdonia. On-call 24 hours a day, all year round, the team is made up of roughly 50 trained volunteers. Team members are all mountaineers with vast local knowledge, experience and first aid training. Many have expertise in casualty care, advanced first aid, emergency driving, and water rescue.
The Challenge
The conditions of such a vast mountain range can prove dangerous for ill-equipped and inexperienced mountaineers, and because of this, this busy rescue centre faces increasing call outs, placing the volunteers in hazardous situations.
The area that the rescue team is responsible for also covers river and lake rescues, as well as traditional mountainous conditions and the climate can prove extremely varied.
Since 2021, the team has experienced a record number of call-outs, due to increased visitor numbers coupled with extreme weather caused by climate change.
Our Solution
Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation strives to continually improve the mountain rescue services they provide with training and innovative new equipment. Before the team embark on any rescue visit, it is crucial that they know what elements they will face on any given day.
For such a rugged setting, our engineers recommended the durable and robust Skyview Multi-Met Weather Station to monitor key parameters such as wind speed and direction and rainfall.
Our team then surveyed the Ogwen Valley site and discussed the best location to install the weather monitoring system.
The weather station disseminates data back to the team’s base and can be analysed via Skylink-Pro, Skyview's professional weather portal, to assist crew members when faced with perilous situations and allow for real-time lifesaving decision-making. Live on-site weather is also displayed on the team’s own website, enabling visitors to plan excursions prior to setting off.
