Welcome to Bolton Mountain Rescue Team
Bolton Mountain Rescue Team is a voluntary search and rescue charity and a member of Mountain Rescue England and Wales that represents 49 teams. Bolton MRT is made up entirely of volunteers who are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
We cover an area of over 800 square kilometres extending from Darwen in the West Pennine Moors to the north to beyond Manchester Airport in the south, and from Wigan to the west to the centre of Manchester in the east.
Bolton Mountain Rescue Team
The chances are you will never need our services. However, since 1968, a great many have. Our callouts are diverse. For example, we help walkers, runners, bikers, climbers and even dogs that have found themselves in a precarious position. We also search for members of the public who are missing outside of urban areas, particularly those classed as vulnerable by the police.
It costs around £60,000 per year to run the team. Securing this amount of money each year is a constant challenge. We rely on the generosity of the public and other organisations who provide us with donations. Visit the donations page to learn more about how you can help raise money for the team.
Latest News
New Applicants’ Assessment Weekend – 28 February & 1 March
Over the weekend of 28th February and 1st March, Bolton Mountain Rescue Team ran its 2026 new applicants’ assessment weekend, welcoming a strong group of candidates who all put in a huge amount of effort across two demanding days.
Saturday included a fitness test, followed by a navigation assessment on Winter Hill, testing both physical capability and hill skills. Applicants also attended interviews with our Team Leader and Deputy Team Leader, completed a navigation theory test, a blindfolded stretcher carrying exercise, had a tour of our Ladybridge HQ, and had a look at our kit so they could better understand essential mountain rescue equipment.
Sunday saw the applicants head to the Tockholes area for a full day of outdoor scenarios, where teamwork and problem-solving were key. The morning consisted of search exercises, and first aid scenarios designed to assess casualty care and communication under pressure. In the afternoon, applicants were split into two teams to take on simulated callouts, with each team required to locate, treat, and safely extricate two casualties.
Throughout the whole weekend, the new applicants were mentored and assessed by experienced team members, which added even more pressure to every scenario they faced.
We would like to thank everyone who applied, turned up, and gave their best throughout the weekend. The commitment, resilience, and teamwork on display were impressive.
We will not be opening up recruitment for our Operational Team again for the foreseeable future.
New Applicants’ Assessment Weekend – 28 February & 1 March
Over the weekend of 28th February and 1st March, Bolton Mountain Rescue Team ran its 2026 new applicants’ assessment weekend, welcoming a strong group of candidates who all put in a huge amount of effort across two demanding days.
Saturday included a fitness test, followed by a navigation assessment on Winter Hill, testing both physical capability and hill skills. Applicants also attended interviews with our Team Leader and Deputy Team Leader, completed a navigation theory test, a blindfolded stretcher carrying exercise, had a tour of our Ladybridge HQ, and had a look at our kit so they could better understand essential mountain rescue equipment.
Sunday saw the applicants head to the Tockholes area for a full day of outdoor scenarios, where teamwork and problem-solving were key. The morning consisted of search exercises, and first aid scenarios designed to assess casualty care and communication under pressure. In the afternoon, applicants were split into two teams to take on simulated callouts, with each team required to locate, treat, and safely extricate two casualties.
Throughout the whole weekend, the new applicants were mentored and assessed by experienced team members, which added even more pressure to every scenario they faced.
We would like to thank everyone who applied, turned up, and gave their best throughout the weekend. The commitment, resilience, and teamwork on display were impressive.
We will not be opening up recruitment for our Operational Team again for the foreseeable future.
On 14th February, a day on which we received four emergency callouts, Bolton Mountain Rescue Team were called to assist a casualty who had slipped on ice on the moors near Holcombe and sustained a serious lower leg and ankle injury.
Initial assessments suggested a potential fracture, and further hospital investigations later revealed the full extent of the injuries: three fractures, torn ligaments on both sides, and the need for surgical intervention including the installation of a screw, a plate, and the removal of some bone fragments.
This incident is a stark reminder that winter conditions can make even familiar terrain extremely hazardous, and that injuries can be far more severe than they first appear.
We wish the casualty a full recovery, and thank all those involved in the rescue and onward medical care.
Photos and injury details shared with permission from the casualty.
On Call 24 Hours
Search & Rescue
Event Safety Cover
In case of an emergency, DIAL 999, ask for ‘Police’ then ‘Mountain Rescue’
Give all your prepared details of the incident and ‘STAY WHERE YOU ARE’ until contacted by the rescue team.
If you have to make a further 999 call, follow this procedure in full again.