The 1990’s
With a membership now drawn from across the community and a cascade call-out system that would run for another 10 years, the Team remained superficially the same. However, beneath the surface there were subtle shifts that still echo on many years later. As membership shifted slowly away from O.B. staff, so too did any benefits related to work-place outdoor clothing allowances. Many members worked for other outdoor centres, so had similar benefits in place, but an increasing number of volunteers were coming from outside the sector. No equipment was provided by the Team, but these volunteers were still expected to equip themselves to a standard that they could endure the worst the mountain could throw at them. This understandably was an expensive business and even for those enthusiasts who already had the kit, the extra wear and tear ran through clothing and boots quickly. This significant outlay, before even considering the expense of getting to and from rescues, created a significant social barrier to volunteering that remains a challenge to the wider MR organisation to this day. The Team operated almost on a by invitation based on knowing someone in the Team and a cursory evaluation of whether you were the” right stuff”. Whilst it clearly worked as a strategy for keeping the Team operational and well-manned, there is always the danger with such an arrangement that it becomes something of a closed-shop.
With a membership now drawn from across the community and a cascade call-out system that would run for another 10 years, the Team remained superficially the same. However, beneath the surface there were subtle shifts that still echo on many years later. As membership shifted slowly away from O.B. staff, so too did any benefits related to work-place outdoor clothing allowances. Many members worked for other outdoor centres, so had similar benefits in place, but an increasing number of volunteers were coming from outside the sector. No equipment was provided by the Team, but these volunteers were still expected to equip themselves to a standard that they could endure the worst the mountain could throw at them. This understandably was an expensive business and even for those enthusiasts who already had the kit, the extra wear and tear ran through clothing and boots quickly. This significant outlay, before even considering the expense of getting to and from rescues, created a significant social barrier to volunteering that remains a challenge to the wider MR organisation to this day. The Team operated almost on a by invitation based on knowing someone in the Team and a cursory evaluation of whether you were the” right stuff”. Whilst it clearly worked as a strategy for keeping the Team operational and well-manned, there is always the danger with such an arrangement that it becomes something of a closed-shop.
Back row: casualty, Lord Lieutenant, Dave Williams Middle: Jonah Young, Karen Jaques, Chris Ray on behalf of his father Nick Ray, Chris Terrill Andy James. Front row: Andy Jeffries, Nick Dawson, Dave Lewis, Des George
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Details of the citation
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In 1996 members of the Team were awarded the Royal Humane Society Bronze Medal for the rescue of a climber stuck on 700ft frozen waterfall in Dinas Mawddwy.
Elsewhere, in 1991 the Rhinnog and Moelwyn Rescue Teams amalgamated to form South Snowdonia Search and Rescue Team, and then in 1996 the team split to enable the formation of Aberglaslyn MRT.