The team was formed at a meeting in the Armstrong's Cafe (also known as Central Cafe) with local mountaineers and Keswick MRT members on 23 February 1953. Jennings Brewery wagon ???

Amongst the team's first vehicles were a Jennings brewery lorry and a Willy's jeep, replaced with a Rolls Royce in 1959!

The team's first garage was the old market hall in Fairfield car park, which was then the site of the town's livestock market

To join the team "Pocession of a pair of boots, a rucksack and a tin of elastoplasts got you in!". The team raised £50 for a rope, 6 karabiners and 2 lights.

A new team base was built in 1962, mainly by team members, and Bedford ambulances replaced by the team's first Land Rovers

The carrying and lowering of stretchers has always been fundamental to the operation of the team. Here members carry a stretcher through a flooded Gategarth Farm yard.

In 1969 a tragic accident ocurred whilst the team was undertaking a stretcher lower on Low Crag. Sadly 2 team members were killed and others seriously injured.

A rescue on Pillar, Ennerdale for a fallen climber. The first use by the team of an RAF Wessex Whirlwind.

Team leader Jim Coyle trained 'Rock', one of the first search dogs in the area. Rescuers with search dogs in the Lakes now have their own organisation Lake District Mountain Rescue Search Dogs .

New advance base opened at Gatesgarth Farm. The Farm was usually one of the first places to receive information if an accident had occurred in the Buttermere valley.

The team starts using pagers to callout team members when there's an incident. Very different to the 1950's... "when there was a callout a policeman would either walk or ride on his bike to where we lived and tell us we were needed".

An appeal was launched for funding for a new HQ in Cockermouth.

During extreme winter weather on the west coast the team used their Land Rovers to help rescue and transport patients

In 2009 extreme weather brings severe flooding to Cockermouth and the team plays a major role in rescues

Our new HQ building opens in 2003 with 4 vehicle bays and a crag rescue training area

The team acquires a new Land Rover which is named 'Jacks Pride' in honour of one of the team's founding members, Jack Jackson

Following the Cockermouth floods a new inflatible boat is purchased to help support swift water rescue

A new Mercedes Sprinter vehicle was purchased to help transport team members and equipment

Corona virus changes our operations with the use of PPE, social distancing and separate Red/Blue teams for resilience

Annual operating costs have increased from £50 in 1953 to £85,000 in 2019!