Annual fund-raising weekend Kern Knotts 1069

21 & 22 July 2006

Click here to Download a PDF of the Auction Lots (updated 18 July 2006)

Click here to download a pdf of the shop items

Click here to view the list on a webpage (updated 18 July 2006)

First things first , what is it all about?

Well the Kern Knotts fundraising weekend is a bi-annual event that we organise in order to raise much needed funds for the Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team. All the events will be aimed at this and all the money raised will go direct to the team

Where is it?

The weekend is held in a marquee at the side of the Wasdale Head Inn. There is plenty of parking, plenty of camping and loads of hotels and B&B's.
Finaly the important bit - What is going on?

Well lots ! the weekend events start of Friday night when there will be a live band playing in the Marquee and a chance to meet some of the team, have a look at the kit we use and need to replace and get some back ground.

Saturday is the main event and will comprise of :

A shop and mrt display in the marquee. The shop will be selling outdoor gear kindly donated to us, everything is donated so 100% of the gear goes to the team.

There will be a flight simulator next to the marquee for those wishing to get a feel for the low flying jets that you see in the lakes, again donations to use and all funds go to the team

There will be a treasure hunt laid out around the valley with prizes for the people who get the most checkpoints done in the shortest time.

11.00am is the annual Lingmell Dash fell race. A listed event which sees fell runners going to the summit of Lingmell and back to the marquee. Prizes for all classes, entries on the the day very welcome.

Afternoon will see a dog handlig display and surgery for behavoir from some tame dog handlers !

A RAF Seaking helicopter is planned to make a visit and pop in to say hello ! so get your cameras ready

The evening sees the main event an auction of outdoor equipment in the marquee followed by more live music and a disco if time permits.

Past Kernknotts events :Sunday 21 September 2003

Every year the local mountain rescue team holds a fund-raising event to raise much-needed operational costs for this very valuable charity service. This year the event was held on the 19 & 20 September in a marquee behind the Wasdale Head Inn.

The weekend's events kicked off on Friday night with live music provided by local band Swampash and Bristol-based Roger Tarry (www.rogertarry.net). The evening was a great success despite heavy rain keeping many people at home.

Saturday was to be the main day of the event with MRT displays and a dog handling demonstration, however this was not be with torrential rain keeping the crowds at bay, compounded by the team being called out on a real rescue which took most of the afternoon to complete. But this didn't ruin the weekend too much as there was still a charity shop being organised and manned by some hardy team volunteers, who did a sterling job of informing people what was happening, showing some of the equipment off and selling all the donated equipment off at some very good prices!

The evening's event was the grand charity auction of mountaineering equipment which kicked off at 6.30pm in front of a crowd of very wet-looking people. Still, the rain didn't dampen the spirits too much and by the end of the evening over six thousand pounds had been raised for the team.

So all in all a very enjoyable weekend was had by all with some much-needed funds being raised to help the team through the next year. Thanks go to all those who helped organise the event and to the volunteers who jumped in at the last minute and helped man the stall and marquee in the team's forced absence.

THANK YOU to one and all.

Sunday was a more sombre day, as it was 100 years to the day that four young climbers fell to their deaths whilst attempting to climb the as then unclimbed face of Scafell Pinnacle high up the mountain. The four had been trying the route for a while, and after lunch had roped themselves together and set off on what they hoped would be the successful ascent,. Half-way up however the leader began to tire and swapped places with one of the others, after doing this the new leader slipped and fell, pulling the other 3 young men off the rock who then fell to their deaths in Lord's Rake below.

Ever since, this accident has been a learning point for the sport with new and improved safety measures being employed as a direct result of this awful day. So on Sunday to remember the four and mark the day, a memorial service was held in St.Olaf's church at Wasdale Head and this was followed by a walk up to the Pinnacle where a wreath was placed in the men's memory. A small but hardy group gathered in the rain to go and pay respects and set up on the long walk. Despite the weather and the wind the goal was achieved and the memorial placed along with a second wreath from the Fettes College, the workplace of one of the young men who died. The event was a sombre occasion and marked well such a sad day in the history of British rock climbing

A simple cross (above) carved into the wall of Lord's Rake has marked the event for the past 100 years