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Call-out: A climber's tales of mountain rescue in Scotland
Call-out is the definitive collection of tales about early mountain rescue in the Highlands of Scotland from Hamish MacInnes – Everest pioneer and arguably the most famous Scottish mountaineer of the twentieth century. In the late 1960s, MacInnes led the Glencoe Mountain Rescue team and together they developed innovative techniques and equipment in order to save lives – often risking their own in the process – whether night or day, and always at a moment's notice. He was a central figure in the rescue during the 1963 New Year tragedy in the Cuillins on the Isle of Skye, and led groundbreaking rescues on Buichaille Etive Mor , Ben Nevis , Bidean nam Bian and many other legendary Scottish mountains. At the heart of the stories in Call-out are the unique characters in the team and wider Glencoe community who demonstrate faultless camaraderie, and – by virtue of MacInnes's engaging storytelling – inject an almost comical slant into these sometimes-grim accounts of misadventure in the mountains. The dark allure of the frozen Scottish peaks provides a foreboding backdrop against which we learn of Hamish MacInnes's concern for human life under even the most extreme conditions. Call-out offers an inspiring portrayal of responsible and dedicated mountaineering practice, which is as pertinent today as ever.
- GenresNonfiction
254 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 12, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 30, 2021
For those with a love of the mountains this is worth a read. It does not matter that the events took place a long time ago, it is still relevant today. These mountains will always draw in the adventurous.
September 29, 2016
Call-out Hamish MacInnes Vertebrate Publishing
This is the classic tale of the early days of mountain rescue mainly in Glencoe, Scotland. Hamish is a world-class mountaineer and yet he spent so much time helping his fellow man and women in distress on these wild hills. He has contributed greatly to safety on the mountains by his huge contribution to Mountain Safety and by his major involvement in mountain rescue, its equipment and design. This was a period where rescue in the mountains was done historically mainly by locals who lived and worked in the glen. Many were forestry workers, fisherman, shepherds and climbers. These were days of simple gear, before mobile phones, GPS and the early days of helicopter rescue. Glencoe is a climber’s mecca, it can be a wild place and it is here where Hamish pioneered many advances in mountain rescue, avalanche techniques and founded the Search and Rescue Dogs Association. He is known as the ‘Father of Mountain Rescue’ not just in Scotland but throughout the world.
I have known Hamish throughout my forty years in mountain rescue from when I was a young novice with the RAF Mountain Rescue teams to more recently when I was a team leader. He is without doubt a world authority on mountain rescue and was always willing to advise and assist many of us throughout our mountain rescue lives. He was always at the forefront of rescue and I owe him so much for his advice over the years, as do so many that climb in these great hills. His knowledge and his skill as a mountaineer are well known but it is Hamish the man, the leader in his own quiet way that stands out in this book. He is a very caring and private man, yet is in regularly in contact with those relatives he has rescued in the past.
I am so glad this book has been republished as an ebook, as it opens these great tales to new generations. These are the stories of real life rescues many that involve many personalities and characters involved in the Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team. It gives a rare insight into their humanity and why they risk their lives to help those in trouble in the mountains. These were the days before rescues were highlighted by the media, and there are so many wonderful stories in this book it is refreshing to read them as many are now climbing folklore. This book takes you into the heart of rescues: the tragedy, the triumph of recovering a badly injured walker or climber. I first read it in 1973 when it was published I could not put it down – I was riveted to it and learned so much from it. I reread it often and it is still the same – a riveting insight into the world of mountain rescue. This was written before things like PTSD were accepted as part of a rescue hazard for rescue team members – many of the tales are harrowing and yet told in a dignified manner to those who were involved. This is a book that makes me feel that despite what the world throws at us, there are those out there who will give everything to help their fellow mountaineer in trouble. The rescuers in the book are unpaid volunteers, and in this world of taking and rarely giving it gives me a heart-warming feeling, which continues to this day amazingly. This is not just a book about mountain rescue but also an incredible series of tales about rescues and the people and personalities involved. Many of the rescues in the book are epics, and yet Hamish and the Glencoe team go about their job as if it were a normal occurrence to risk their lives for people they do not know. These rescues are not without risk at times and yet despite avalanches, rockfall and the wild Scottish weather, Hamish and the team rarely get into trouble. This is not due to luck but to the skill of Hamish and the team. It also covers a huge history of Scottish mountain rescue and the characters involved. It shows the time they give away from families in the dead of a winter’s night, no matter what, and we must never take this for granted.
This is the classic mountain rescue book, yet so many of the rescues are in the same places that occur regularly now. I advise all mountain rescuers to read this – there is so much to learn in each chapter. There are so many similarities to today’s rescue and its politics! It is a must-read for all climbers, walkers and armchair adventurers. These are true stories and all who love the wild places especially Glencoe and Scotland and will be enthralled by the stories. Hamish and his band of brothers in Glencoe have left a great legacy in pioneering mountain rescue in Glencoe. Hamish’s Call-out is a wonderful tribute to those special people and this book has already stood the test of time. To anyone starting in the mountains – read this book there are so many lessons to be learned.
This is a book of one man’s life and team who have given so much for others. I would advise all to read it and learn that life and nature can teach us so much and build a bond that lasts beyond the experiences that this book covers. Thanks Hamish for a great book, and to Vertebrate Publishing for republishing this book – it’s a classic.
You have to read it.
David “Heavy” Whalley MBE, BEM
This is the classic tale of the early days of mountain rescue mainly in Glencoe, Scotland. Hamish is a world-class mountaineer and yet he spent so much time helping his fellow man and women in distress on these wild hills. He has contributed greatly to safety on the mountains by his huge contribution to Mountain Safety and by his major involvement in mountain rescue, its equipment and design. This was a period where rescue in the mountains was done historically mainly by locals who lived and worked in the glen. Many were forestry workers, fisherman, shepherds and climbers. These were days of simple gear, before mobile phones, GPS and the early days of helicopter rescue. Glencoe is a climber’s mecca, it can be a wild place and it is here where Hamish pioneered many advances in mountain rescue, avalanche techniques and founded the Search and Rescue Dogs Association. He is known as the ‘Father of Mountain Rescue’ not just in Scotland but throughout the world.
I have known Hamish throughout my forty years in mountain rescue from when I was a young novice with the RAF Mountain Rescue teams to more recently when I was a team leader. He is without doubt a world authority on mountain rescue and was always willing to advise and assist many of us throughout our mountain rescue lives. He was always at the forefront of rescue and I owe him so much for his advice over the years, as do so many that climb in these great hills. His knowledge and his skill as a mountaineer are well known but it is Hamish the man, the leader in his own quiet way that stands out in this book. He is a very caring and private man, yet is in regularly in contact with those relatives he has rescued in the past.
I am so glad this book has been republished as an ebook, as it opens these great tales to new generations. These are the stories of real life rescues many that involve many personalities and characters involved in the Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team. It gives a rare insight into their humanity and why they risk their lives to help those in trouble in the mountains. These were the days before rescues were highlighted by the media, and there are so many wonderful stories in this book it is refreshing to read them as many are now climbing folklore. This book takes you into the heart of rescues: the tragedy, the triumph of recovering a badly injured walker or climber. I first read it in 1973 when it was published I could not put it down – I was riveted to it and learned so much from it. I reread it often and it is still the same – a riveting insight into the world of mountain rescue. This was written before things like PTSD were accepted as part of a rescue hazard for rescue team members – many of the tales are harrowing and yet told in a dignified manner to those who were involved. This is a book that makes me feel that despite what the world throws at us, there are those out there who will give everything to help their fellow mountaineer in trouble. The rescuers in the book are unpaid volunteers, and in this world of taking and rarely giving it gives me a heart-warming feeling, which continues to this day amazingly. This is not just a book about mountain rescue but also an incredible series of tales about rescues and the people and personalities involved. Many of the rescues in the book are epics, and yet Hamish and the Glencoe team go about their job as if it were a normal occurrence to risk their lives for people they do not know. These rescues are not without risk at times and yet despite avalanches, rockfall and the wild Scottish weather, Hamish and the team rarely get into trouble. This is not due to luck but to the skill of Hamish and the team. It also covers a huge history of Scottish mountain rescue and the characters involved. It shows the time they give away from families in the dead of a winter’s night, no matter what, and we must never take this for granted.
This is the classic mountain rescue book, yet so many of the rescues are in the same places that occur regularly now. I advise all mountain rescuers to read this – there is so much to learn in each chapter. There are so many similarities to today’s rescue and its politics! It is a must-read for all climbers, walkers and armchair adventurers. These are true stories and all who love the wild places especially Glencoe and Scotland and will be enthralled by the stories. Hamish and his band of brothers in Glencoe have left a great legacy in pioneering mountain rescue in Glencoe. Hamish’s Call-out is a wonderful tribute to those special people and this book has already stood the test of time. To anyone starting in the mountains – read this book there are so many lessons to be learned.
This is a book of one man’s life and team who have given so much for others. I would advise all to read it and learn that life and nature can teach us so much and build a bond that lasts beyond the experiences that this book covers. Thanks Hamish for a great book, and to Vertebrate Publishing for republishing this book – it’s a classic.
You have to read it.
David “Heavy” Whalley MBE, BEM
December 15, 2021
A fascinating insight into the heroic efforts gone to by Mountain Rescue teams to try and save the lives of those who have become injured or stuck whilst enjoying the mountains of Scotland. Told with dry wit and dark humor this is well worth reading.
November 27, 2023
A solid little book, very much of its time. It's a fascinating look into both a time and a place, and for that reason I'll warn that it’s very niche. I don't know that it would be everyone’s cup of tea – it's as much about the environment and way of life as it is about the rescues – but for those of you into this kind of thing it is a real treat. It's one of those books that really captures the essence of a whole place, like looking into a window to the past. In some respects rescue work is very similar; in others it's almost unrecognisable.
I think it's a surprise to some that such measures – helicopters, full rescues, the works – are required in the UK; I've met plenty of people who think that there are no dangerous mountains or wilderness areas in this country. This is absolutely incorrect. I used to live not far from the Cairngorms National Park, and my partner and I would frequently drive through the area on days where we had the time and the petrol prices were at 99p a litre. The absolute majesty of the area, the single road winding dwarfed between mountains still glinting with snow at the height of summer, the choppy loughs with unexpected depths; the way that even in the middle of the day we could be the only car on the road – it is impossible to forget that this is still a dangerous and wild land. Hiking and mountaineering here, as anywhere, should not be taken lightly.
The style of this book is informal but knowledgeable; you get the real sense of running into the author in a country bar and being regaled with stories and warnings, which is always enjoyable especially with subjects that can often become dark. Death is obviously part of this job and is spoken of with respect and sensitivity but also as something that is clearly part of the day – an unfavourable result, but these men know the mountains well and accept that's the risk you take when you venture into them. Everyone introduced on the page is given real character and it's a lovely tribute to a group of men often overlooked, some of them long gone now, though their tradition remains. These men were volunteers who were not paid for their services but arrived at all hours of the day and night anyway, ready to risk their lives for those who, either by accident or arrogance, got themselves into trouble. Books like this are a wonderful piece of history.
I think it's a surprise to some that such measures – helicopters, full rescues, the works – are required in the UK; I've met plenty of people who think that there are no dangerous mountains or wilderness areas in this country. This is absolutely incorrect. I used to live not far from the Cairngorms National Park, and my partner and I would frequently drive through the area on days where we had the time and the petrol prices were at 99p a litre. The absolute majesty of the area, the single road winding dwarfed between mountains still glinting with snow at the height of summer, the choppy loughs with unexpected depths; the way that even in the middle of the day we could be the only car on the road – it is impossible to forget that this is still a dangerous and wild land. Hiking and mountaineering here, as anywhere, should not be taken lightly.
The style of this book is informal but knowledgeable; you get the real sense of running into the author in a country bar and being regaled with stories and warnings, which is always enjoyable especially with subjects that can often become dark. Death is obviously part of this job and is spoken of with respect and sensitivity but also as something that is clearly part of the day – an unfavourable result, but these men know the mountains well and accept that's the risk you take when you venture into them. Everyone introduced on the page is given real character and it's a lovely tribute to a group of men often overlooked, some of them long gone now, though their tradition remains. These men were volunteers who were not paid for their services but arrived at all hours of the day and night anyway, ready to risk their lives for those who, either by accident or arrogance, got themselves into trouble. Books like this are a wonderful piece of history.
July 27, 2023
Heading to the north face of ben nevis in a few weeks I read this book to help my imagination run when I am there, but most of the chapters were set in Glencoe. Regardless, fantastic book loaded with scottish mountain culture, also, my 100th read since I joined Goodreads!
June 12, 2017
Enthralling Read
A very good insight to mountain rescue and dedicated team efforts by all members of Mountain Rescue teams country wide
A very good insight to mountain rescue and dedicated team efforts by all members of Mountain Rescue teams country wide
October 4, 2018
Read this oh so many years ago. The stories still resonate through me today.
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