Crag-Rescue Team, Taz & Owners, with Pencoed in the background. At around 3:15 pm on Monday 5th of May, volunteers from Aberdyfi Search & Rescue Team (ASART) were made aware of a dog that had fallen down the cliffs at the side of the Minffordd path in the Pencoed area of the south ridge of Cadair Idris in Southern Snowdonia.
The dog, a Labrador-cross called Taz, had been enjoying a day on the mountain with his owners, a couple from near Bristol in Gloucestershire. Whilst descending the difficult ground of the scree on Pencoed, the couple had decided that it would be safer to release Taz from his lead, only to watch in horror as he disappeared down one of the gulleys sliced into the cliff-face. Some distant wimpering and an occasional bark suggested that Taz had survived, and had not fallen the full cliff height, and the assistance of Mountain Rescue was sought.
A party of ASART volunteers, along with Snowdonia National Park Rangers, made their way onto the hill and set about the task of locating the dog. Some of the group headed to the far shore of Llyn Cau at the base of the cliff to see if Taz could be spotted, while another party headed to the cliff-top where, in deteriorating weather conditions, they began the process of searching the many gulleys in the area. On the edge of nightfall, Taz was spotted on a small ledge 130m down the cliff face, but with encroaching darkness and insufficient equipment for the scale of the task, the hard decision was taken to withdraw until morning.
At 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday 6th of May, a further team of ASART volunteers headed up the mountain, this time lugging the considerable weight of a full crag-rescue kit. The technical rope rescue equipment takes time and concentration to set up, and it was well into the morning before the team were ready to send two rescuers down the cliff face. The crew manning the ropes at the top of the cliff, and those at operation control, waited to hear what scene awaited the rescuers as they approached the ledge. All involved were finally rewarded with ‘Taz has just eaten a biscuit’ coming over the radio.
It is perhaps not the most dignified of strategies, but Taz was placed in a big secure canvas bag for the ride, and the whole party were hoisted back to the cliff top. A quick survey of one very happy dog showed no more than a few bumps and scrapes to speak of his ordeal, and Taz was able to walk down the mountain unassisted, to be reunited with his equally happy owners.
Everyone was down off the mountain by about 2:30 pm
According to our walking archive, this was the 39th Dog rescued by the Team
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-27305141
http://youtu.be/EywdmUNeMJQ
The dog, a Labrador-cross called Taz, had been enjoying a day on the mountain with his owners, a couple from near Bristol in Gloucestershire. Whilst descending the difficult ground of the scree on Pencoed, the couple had decided that it would be safer to release Taz from his lead, only to watch in horror as he disappeared down one of the gulleys sliced into the cliff-face. Some distant wimpering and an occasional bark suggested that Taz had survived, and had not fallen the full cliff height, and the assistance of Mountain Rescue was sought.
A party of ASART volunteers, along with Snowdonia National Park Rangers, made their way onto the hill and set about the task of locating the dog. Some of the group headed to the far shore of Llyn Cau at the base of the cliff to see if Taz could be spotted, while another party headed to the cliff-top where, in deteriorating weather conditions, they began the process of searching the many gulleys in the area. On the edge of nightfall, Taz was spotted on a small ledge 130m down the cliff face, but with encroaching darkness and insufficient equipment for the scale of the task, the hard decision was taken to withdraw until morning.
At 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday 6th of May, a further team of ASART volunteers headed up the mountain, this time lugging the considerable weight of a full crag-rescue kit. The technical rope rescue equipment takes time and concentration to set up, and it was well into the morning before the team were ready to send two rescuers down the cliff face. The crew manning the ropes at the top of the cliff, and those at operation control, waited to hear what scene awaited the rescuers as they approached the ledge. All involved were finally rewarded with ‘Taz has just eaten a biscuit’ coming over the radio.
It is perhaps not the most dignified of strategies, but Taz was placed in a big secure canvas bag for the ride, and the whole party were hoisted back to the cliff top. A quick survey of one very happy dog showed no more than a few bumps and scrapes to speak of his ordeal, and Taz was able to walk down the mountain unassisted, to be reunited with his equally happy owners.
Everyone was down off the mountain by about 2:30 pm
According to our walking archive, this was the 39th Dog rescued by the Team
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-27305141
http://youtu.be/EywdmUNeMJQ