Mountain Rescue in the U.K. is primarily provided by highly trained unpaid volunteers. We operate throughout the Northern area of The North York Moors National Park. The Team can be called to work in other areas when requested by the Police or other Mountain Rescue Teams.

Prospective members will need to be fit and healthy enough, to undertake physical tasks in all weather conditions. We expect all applicants to be competent hill walkers/climbers or mountaineers, with at least four to five years of quality hill experience and also having the equipment and skills to look after themselves on the Hill in all weathers.

You must also be willing to work in a team, live in our operational area and be prepared to commit a significant amount of your time.

Successful candidates are invited to complete a night navigation and hill craft assessment, this lasts for duration of 3-4 Hours. The assessment is similar to the skills required for the Summer Mountain Leader micro navigation assessment.

During this assessment you should be able to prove to us that you have the ability to move competently over rough upland terrain, navigate using a map and compass to any given location and arrive in reasonable time and reasonable condition.

Application for membership is welcome from volunteers of both sexes who must be over 18. The Team has a standard application pack which can be obtained from the team via the e-mail link at the end of this page. Applicants are required to supply details of their hill walking and or mountaineering experience. The applicant will also need to provide a reference from someone who can endorse the application and confirm experience.

Applications are invited at the beginning of autumn each year, if we are recruiting. Assessment evenings are usually held between October and January.

If you are a successful candidate, you will be asked at this point to submit yourself for Criminal Records Bureau Check (CRB) organised by the Team.

If a candidate passes the navigation test, they will be asked to attend training sessions prior to the application being considered by the committee and hopefully being accepted as a probationary member of the Team. During the probationary period, which lasts at least a year, candidates must attend a specified amount of team training and complete all associated requirements of training. At the end of this period a weekend assessment will test a candidate’s ability and teamwork to the full. Successful completion of the assessment weekend usually ensures full team membership and a place on the callout list as a full Search and Rescue Team Member.

In addition to acquiring technical rescue skills, a prospective member must realise that they will be joining a dedicated team of volunteers, where team-work is not simply an addition to the normal workload, but is an integral part of working with the team.

Working in a volunteer Mountain Rescue Team is highly rewarding.

For further details and to apply contact the team secretary by email