Shortly after 3:30 p.m.  call-handlers from the Team were made aware of two walkers lost on Cader Idris.

The couple from Borth had climbed the Minffordd Path to the summit of the mountain, but had become disorientated as they made their descent and ended up coming down the wrong side of the mountain. With no navigational resources to fall back on, and with nightfall rapidly approaching they called for help.

Using the Phonefind protocol, the incident manager was able to establish their location remotely, and was able to give instructions using obvious landmarks and fence-lines to direct them off the hillside. Meanwhile a party of Team volunteers made their way up the hill to meet up with the pair and escort them down the final stages.

Everyone was safely back at vehicles by 5:20 p.m.

Shortly before 2:30 p.m.  the Team was called to assist with the evacuation of an injured rider at Dyfi Bike Park near Machynlleth.

The 42 year-old male had taken a tumbling fall from his bike, sustaining suspected injuries to his lower back, hips and right leg. The air ambulance attended the incident, and Team volunteers helped transport the man by stretcher from the incident site to the waiting aircraft.

Everyone was safely off the hill by 4:00 p.m.

Shortly before 3:30 p.m. theTeam was requested to assist a Welsh Ambulance Service crew attend to an injured walker on Cader Idris.

The 32 year old man had taken a short tumbling fall close to the slate bridge at the top of the Minffordd steps, and had sustained a significant head injury. Given the potentially serious nature of the injury sustained, the rapidly approaching darkness, and the difficult stretcher carry represented by the Minffordd steps, the Team requested the assistance of the Coastguard Helicopter Rescue936. 

Team volunteers, along with the ambulance crew and the winchman, worked to stabilise the casualty and prepare him for evacuation, while other volunteers stood ready at the foot of the hill should a stretcher carry or other equipment be required.

The casualty was successfully winched aboard R936 and flown to Bronglais Hospital for further assessment and treatment.

Everyone was safely off the hill by 5:15 p.m.

Shortly after 4:00 p.m. call handlers from the Team were made aware of an injured walker above the Tal y Llyn pass near Dolgellau.

The injured woman, a visitor from the Netherlands, had injured her ankle whilst on a hill walk that had started in Dinas Mawddwy. She had been helped by her partner to a position close to the back road to Aberllefenni, and with a little assistance from Team volunteers she was moved to a waiting Team vehicle and driven down off the hillside. The casualty was then driven by her partner to hospital for further assessment.

Shortly before 1:00 p.m.  call handlers from the Team were requested to assist the Welsh Ambulance Service crews in assisting an injured mountain bike rider near Machynlleth.

The 15 year old male suffered serious leg injuries in a fall from his bike on the down-hill trails at Dyfi Bike Park, and was attended by paramedic crews from the ambulance service and a critical care team from the Air Ambulance which had been able to land closeby.

When the casualty had been stabilised by the medical personnel, Team volunteers moved the teenager to waiting vehicles on a wheeled stretcher. The rider was then transferred to the air ambulance and flown to hospital for further treatment.

Everyone was back in the car park by 3:00 p.m.

Shortly before 9:30 p.m., and midway through a Team committee meeting, call-handlers from the Team were made aware of an unusual light spotted on Cader Idris.

Concerns were raised by a person living in the Minffordd area over the light, which had been seen continuously from around 5:00 p.m. until the cloudbase fell far enough to obscure the view at around 9:00 p.m.

Team volunteer Graham O'Hanlon attended the incident. "Lights on the mountain are not that unusual, particularly at this time of year. When walkers are appropriately equipped with navigational tools and torches, they can enjoy the hills safely long after dark. However this light was situated away from the principle routes up and down the mountain, and although the weather was largely calm and bright, it not an obvious choice for wild camping. Unusually  in this instance the bright light was completely stationary and situated high above a farm at the foot of the mountain."

"By the time we were alerted to the issue it had been wholly night for some hours, but the light had continued to shine around.  Team volunteers wisely started the investigations by establishing that all the shepherds and flocks were accounted for, and that nothing unusual was happening in the cowsheds, but all was calm."

"As the initial parties made their up the hill to investigate the source, the light, which up to this point had been wreathed in mist, cleared the cloud and  shone on high."

"Having the first opportunity to see the light for ourselves, it became clear what we were looking at, and we were so surprised we needed to check it twice. Viewing the scene by binoculars we could see that on the very top of the ridge, overlooking the Tal-y Llyn pass, a couple of trees had been spruced-up with solar fairy lights. There was no one obviously present under the trees. 

"We left the lights in place as they are not our property. Although they look nice, it is a little naughty to be leaving equipment like that on the mountain, and we will monitor the situation. We would hope that the lights are removed by 6th of Jan, if only to stop the goblins coming!"

"This incident turned out to be a well-intentioned false alarm, but we are always happy to go and investigate concerns, and were quite amused by this one"

16 volunteers attended the incident, and everyone was safely down off the hill shortly after midnight.

At around 4:15 p.m. call-handlers from the Team were made aware of two lost walkers on Cader Idris.

The couple had set out from Minffordd to scale the mountain, but navigational mistakes meant that they descended the mountain on the wrong side. Consequently, as darkness started to fall they were unsure of their location and called for help.

The pair were located using the PhoneFind protocol to quiz their phone for location data, and were located on open ground to the south of Dolgellau. A small party of Team volunteers was dispatched to meet the walkers and escort them safely off the hill. Everyone was back at vehicles by 6:40 p.m.

​Shortly after 4:00 p.m.  call handlers from the Team were made aware of a walker in difficulty on Cader Idris.

The lightly equipped 22 year old female from Aberystwyth was cold but otherwise uninjured and situated at the summit hut on the mountain. She had found herself unsure of the route down and had lost confidence that she could find her way off the mountain before darkness fell.

A party of 4 team volunteers departed from Ty Nant and made a rapid ascent of the mountain to locate the caller. She was given warm clothing and walked off the mountain, with everyone being safely back at the car park by 8:20 p.m.

In the midst of the missing person search, rescuers were made aware of an injured mountain biker at nearby Nant y Moch reservoir.

The 48 year old male had fallen badly, injuring his left wrist and elbow, and sustaining a suspected head injury.

A party made up from volunteers from both Aberdyfi and Brecon teams attended the incident. The injured man was treated at the scene and transported to Bronglais hospital for further assessment and treatment.

Team volunteers were again working with Dyfed-Powys Police and Brecon Mountain Rescue Team in an ongoing search for a missing 54 year old man from Tre'r Ddol.

​No evidence of the man was found and the police investigation remains open.