AREA COVERED

The main operating area of Longtown Mountain Rescue Team is the easterly section of the Brecon Beacons National Park, South Wales, an area known as the Black Mountains.

The Brecon Beacons cover an area of some 520 square miles and much of the park is over 800 ft ( 244m ) above sea level. The main summits are over 2000 ft ( 610m ) high and the whole area is of varied terrain, consisting of open moorland, dense forest and barren peaks.

Due to the size of the National Park, Longtown MRT are one of four Rescue teams operating in the area, each with a roughly equally sized area of responsibility.

The Team is not, however, purely confined to the mountainous regions, we operate in lowland and urban areas if necessary as far North as the Southern reaches of Snowdonia and South to the Bristol Channel. The Black Mountains are where the majority of the Team's 'call outs' originate, probably due to their popularity amongst walkers, mountain bikers and other outdoor enthusiasts. The area includes many peaks over 2000 ft, the main ones being: Waun Fach ( 2660 ft, 810 m ), Pen-Allt-Mawr ( 2360 ft, 719 m ), Pen cerrig-calch (2300 ft, 701 m ), Twmpa ( 2263 ft, 680 m ), Rhos Dirian ( 2338 ft, 713 m ) and Hay Bluff ( 2220 ft, 677 m ). There are also lower , but very popular peaks such as the Sugar Loaf ( 1955 ft, 596 m ), the Skirrid ( 1594 ft, 486 m ) and the Blorenge ( 1834 ft, 559 m ) which surround the market town of Abergavenny, the Teams main 'base'.

The peaks are orientated roughly north to south with steep sided, narrow valleys. On the most easterly ridge, above the Llanthony valley, is the well known Offa's Dyke footpath, which attracts many long distance walkers.