SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 1976
DURING THE FIRST MONTH TRAINING, THE CAS TEAM WAS TRAINED ALONG WITH THE LOCAL BRITISH MOUNTAIN RESCUERS UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE LAND RESCUE SERVICE OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE.
THE PROGRAMME CONSISTED MAINLY OF RESCUE AND SEARCH TECH HOUT, METHODS IN RADIO COMMUNICATION TOGETHER WITH SEVERAL OVERNIG CAMPING AND RESCUE EXERCISES IN THE STEEP MOUNTAINS OF GRANTC-ON- SPEY, KINLOSS IN SCOTLAND AND VALLEY IN WALES. THEY WERE ALS TAUGHT HOW TO RESCUE SURVIVORS FROM AIR CRASHES IN REMOTE AREAS.
THE SECOND PART OF THE TRAINING WAS CARRIED OUT IN THE WORLD FAMOUS NATIONAL MOUNTAINEERING CENTRE IN PLAS Y BRENIN IN NORTH WALES.
THE FOUR-WEEK COMPREHENSIVE MOUNTAIN CRAFT COURSE WAS CONDUCTED BY A FULLY-QUALIFIED PERMANENT STAFF AT THE CENTRE.
THE COURSE COVERED A WIDE RANGE OF SUBJECTS, INCLUDING OR IENTEERING, MOUNTAIN NAVIGATION AND WALKING, CAMPING AND PARTY LEADERSHIP, ROPE HANDLING, ROCK CLIMBING, SKI-ING, TENSION CLIMBING AS WELL AS MOUNTAIN RESCUE AND SURVIVAL. THE HEAVILY-PACKED PROGRAMME ALSO CONSISTED OF SELECTION, CARE AND IMPROVISATION OF EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING IN INSTITUTIONAL METHODS. A STUDY OF LAND FORMATION, MOUNTAINS, SCENERY AND FORESTRY WAS ALSO INCLUDED.
THE GOVERNMENT TRAINING ADVISER OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE IN LONDON, MR. G.N. VAN LANGENBERG, CAME AWAY VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CAS TEAM AFTER PAYING A THREE-DAY VISIT TO THE TRAINEES IN THE NATIONAL MOUNTAINEERING CENTRE AND WATCHED AT CLOSE QUARTERS THE TRAINING THEY UNDERWENT.
WITH MORE AND MORE HONG KONG PEOPLE TURNING TO HIKING AND MOUNTAINEERING THESE DAYS, THE TECHNIQUES AND EXPERTISE THE FIVE OFFICERS BRING HOME WILL HELP CONTRIBUTE TO THE EFFENCIENCY OF THE 56-MAN CAS MOUNTAIN RESCUE UNIT IN COPING WITH ANY EVENTUALITIES AND EMERGENCY SITUATION WHICH MIGHT ARISE.
THEY ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO PASS ON THEIR KNOWLEDGE TO THE IR CONTEMPORARIES AND HELP ORGANISE COURSES FOR YOUTH LEADERS IN MOUNTAIN CRAFT.
COMMENTING ON THE ROLE OF MOUNTAIN RESCUE UNITS IN GENERAL SQUADRON LEADER JOHN VERNON, INSPECTOR OF LAND RESCUE, ROYAL AIR FORCE, WHO CO-ORDINATED THE TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR THE CAS TEAM, NOTED THAT AS WAS THE CASE THE WORLD OVER, MANY HOLIDAYMAKERS WHO SET OFF ON NOTHING MORE THAN A PLEASURE CAR RIDE TO ENJOY THE BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPE OF THE HILL OFTEN ENDED UP BEING TRAPPED IN THE MOUNTAINS SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY WERE ILL-PREPARED FOR SUCH AN EXPEDITION.
+ THE ATTRACTIONS OF NATURAL BEAUTY AND FASCINATING LANDSCAPE ARE NO DOUBT IRRESISTIBLE, BUT THE DANGER INHERENT IN THE PURSUIT OF SUCH TEMPTATIONS IS OFTEN NOT RECOGNISED, HE OBSERVED.
/THE FIVE
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