Calling mountain rescue
Mountain rescue teams in the UK are voluntary, charity-funded and free to call. Here's exactly what to do.
Call 999 or 112
Ask for Police first — they coordinate mountain rescue in England, Wales and Scotland. Don't ask for "mountain rescue" directly; go through Police. Give your location as a six-figure OS grid reference if you have it. If not, describe landmarks, the direction you came from, and any obvious features.
Pre-register for emergency SMS
If you have no voice signal, you can text 999 — but only if you've pre-registered. Do it now: text "register" to 999 from your phone. You'll get a confirmation. It takes 30 seconds and you only need to do it once.
What to tell them
Your location (grid reference or description). The nature of the injury or problem. How many people are in your group. What the injured person is wearing (helps spotters from above). Your phone number in case the call drops.
Coastal routes
On coastal routes, ask for HM Coastguard instead of Mountain Rescue. The handoff process is the same: call 999 or 112, ask for Police, then ask for Coastguard.
While you wait
Stay put unless you're in immediate danger. Keep the casualty warm — wind chill can cause hypothermia quickly even in summer. Use spare kit from your group. Keep your phone battery alive by putting it in flight mode if signal is poor.
In an emergency
- Call 999 or 112 → ask for Police → then Mountain Rescue
- No signal? Text 999 — pre-register first: text "register" to 999
- Coastal routes: ask for Coastguard instead of Mountain Rescue