Longtown Mountain Rescue Team

General information

The Team Formed in 1965 and based in Abergavenny since 2001, Longtown Mountain Rescue Team is an emergency service staffed entirely by volunteers from all walks of life who freely give up their time. We work in conjunction with the police and other agencies, to locate and recover lost or injured individuals from remote places in the Black Mountains and surrounding area. Although our main function and training is geared towards mountain rescue , we can be called upon to assist the police in searching for missing young or vulnerable individuals, in urban and rural areas where available police resources are limited and the situation is urgent. The team has an operational membership of 40 to provide a service which is available 24 hours a day 365 days of the year. Providing a professional and effective service, always in a state of readiness to deploy at a moments notice, requires each member to train on a regular basis to maintain the necessary skill levels in first aid and search and rescue techniques. The team receives no official funding and it is through the hard work of the team members that the funds are raised to maintain the service.

Where we Operate Our main operating area is the easterly section of the Brecon Beacons National Park, an area known as the Black Mountains, popular amongst walkers, mountain bikers and outdoor enthusiasts. The Brecon Beacons cover an area of some 520 square miles and much of the park is over 800ft(244m) above sea level. The main summits are over 2000ft(610m) high and the whole area is of varied terrain from open moorland to dense forests and barren peaks.The team is not however purely confined to the mountainous regions, we operate in lowlands and urban areas if necessary, as far north as the southern reaches of Snowdonia and south to the Bristol Channel.