ICE CLIMBING NEWS ITEM

Saving Lives All Through the Heights

THURSDAY, 28 JUNE 2007

How would you like to know how it's like to be part of the rescue team of the mountains?

Most of us find it very interesting and challenging trekking the mountains. There were even some who are so passionate with this challenge that they are really willing to risk their lives just to get to the summit. We've heard different stories of struggles and triumphs of these mountaineers and climbers. At one point in our lives, we cried upon hearing or reading about the sad stories of these trekkers. And of course, there were also times when we felt glad over their success.

But what if for once, instead of listening to the adventures of the trekkers, we pay attention to the modest stories of those people who are behind the rescuing of those trekkers who experienced emergency on top of the mountains? How would you like to take part and feel for their personal toils of saving the lives of the mountaineers in danger?

Just recently, a member of the Boulder-based Rocky Mountain Rescue Group (RMRG), Mark Scott-Nash, published a book containing some vital information on rescuing lives on top of the mountains. Entitled Playing for Real: Stories of Rocky Mountain Rescue, the book of Scott-Nash also gives a glimpse of the fraternity in the mountain rescue team that perhaps, most people never know.

"Over the time that I've been in Rocky Mountain Rescue, I saw a lot of very interesting, amazing things during rescues, and I noticed that when I related these stories to other people, their jaws would drop and their eyes would pop open," Scott-Nash said. "I knew the stories were interesting, but other people thought they were just amazing. Other people don't know anything about it, and it just seemed like there was a story waiting to be told."

Forty-five year old Scott-Nash has been in more than 100 field missions in his eight years as an RMRG volunteer. He says that as a member of the rescue team, you have to be ready for surprises all the time since you really don’t know what’s going on and the person’s exact condition not until you already arrive in the location.

He further adds that the reason why he decided to write a book on the different stories of the rescue team members on top of the mountain is for the people to know and be aware of the things that the mountain rescue teams have to undergo just to save the lives of the trekkers in danger.

"Everybody knows what firemen do because there are tens of thousands of them and you see them all the time," says Scott-Nash. “But mountain rescue is only in the mountains. It's a low-profile kind of thing. We don't really talk to the press, and we don't advertise when we go out. We don't do press releases telling everybody what we do. Maybe we should. My book might help bring out some of the work we do."

For more information, read the full news story at www.denverpost.com.

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