Flushing toilet and garage are on Assynt Mountain Rescue Team's wish list for 2023
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Assynt Mountain Rescue Team has revealed what it hopes to achieve in the new year.
The team have set themselves a number of goals for improvements to their equipment and infrastructure in 2023.
A post on the group’s social media page said: “In 2023 Assynt are planning to get both of their vehicles under cover with a new build on the horizon at our base at Inchnadamph on the west coast.
“We are also asking Santa for a flushing toilet.
“And other plans include building a garage for our Sprinter on the north coast at Thurso.”
Assynt Mountain Rescue Team was set up in 1976 following an incident on a local estate with a missing worker.
As a result, a number of interested local residents decided to try and set up some robust arrangements for search and rescue in the north.
The idea of a local rescue team based in Assynt took root over a glass or two of home-brew and Assynt Mountain Rescue Team was born.
Members are unpaid volunteers who all share a love for hillwalking, mountaineering, rock climbing, snow and ice climbing and caving.
Now the 30-strong team covers all of Caithness and Sutherland, an area of roughly 6853 square kilometres (3340 square miles). It includes popular mountain such as Suilven, Cul More, Ben More Assynt and Conival, Ben Kilbreck, Ben Hope and Ben Loyal, as well as remote coastlines, lochans and bothies.
The team is currently trialling a new range of high-end outdoor hiking clothing after signing a three-year deal with Norwegian based clothing manufacturer Helly Hansen. Members will give feedback to Helly Hansen on the performance of the gear.
The team held its final training day of 2022 on December 10 and on December 11 joined a Facebook Live talk about preparing for the outdoors in winter.
