Today was Assynt Mountain Rescue technical training day and we could not have asked for better weather. With the sun splitting the sky we made our way carrying half a ton of equipment and a stretcher down to the pinnacle area of Reiff, a popular rock climbing destination.

We revisited all the knots required for rescues and developed our skills in building anchor systems. In the afternoon we put these skills into action and lowered the stretcher down a cliff and raised it back up again. Hamlet Mountaineering’s own Laura Hamlet is pictured being the barrow boy/girl.

Finishing with a scenario where by our training officer abseiled into the bottom of a very steep corner unfortunately ‘injuring’ himself on the way down. Our task was to put into action the skills we had spent the day learning and send a team member down on a rope to fetch him back up, which we managed with no major issues.

Another great days training, all be it in weather which is probably far from the reality of what would actually be the case.