A number of Keswick Mountain Rescue Team members travelled to the International School of Mountaineering (ISM) in Leysin, Switzerland, to undergo some intensive winter training.
Torrential rain in the valley at the start of the week gave rise to risky snow conditions high up. It meant that the volunteers often had to discard their original plans for the day and opt instead for safer plan B options.
But despite the weather it was still the perfect environment to improve the team’s mountaineering skills and knowledge.
The training included route choice and decision making based on avalanche risk, use of transceivers, probes, shovels, axes and crampons on steep terrain, short roping, mixed climbing, building snow anchors and much more. They also visited the base of the rescue team that covers the Leysin area.
The Keswick team were fortunate to have talented photographers Tom McNally and Stuart Holmes among their number who took some stunning images of the trip.
