Heavy Whalley is one of the most experienced mountain rescue experts in Britain. Listen to his thoughts on mountain safety and the changes he has seen in our hills over the years.
David was a son of the manse in Ayr his father was the Rev WH Whalley minister of Newton On Ayr church. His father and mother gave him a love of the hills in Arran, Galloway and the Scottish highlands.
He was a member of the RAF Mountain Rescue (MR) for 37 years. He was the Team Leader of RAF Leuchars, RAF Kinloss and Deputy Team leader at RAF Valley in North Wales. He spent his last four years working in the ARCC Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre at RAF Kinloss giving him a unique insight into Rescue in the UK. After leaving the RAF he joined the Torridon MRT serving with them for 3 years until he retired.
He was the Senior Team leader at the Lockerbie Disaster and has been involved in over 1000 Mountain and over 80 Aircraft incidents in mountainous areas. He was a member of the Executive of The Scottish Mountain Rescue Committee for over 20 years, serving for 5 years as the Accident Statistician and 3 years as Chairman of Mountain Rescue Scotland. He was awarded the BEM, MBE and the Distinguished Service Award for Service to Mountain Rescue. He is an honorary member of the Torridon and Kinlochewe MRT and Search and Rescue Dog Association Scotland.
Heavy is retired and is in the process of writing a book and lecturing on Mountain Rescue and Mountain Safety in the UK and overseas. As an active climber and walker he climbs every week and is a member of the SMC & Moray Mountaineering clubs. He was Patron of a local Charity Outfit Moray that works with children in the outdoors up to Nov 2017. He has climbed the Munros 7 times and plans to complete them again this year.
He is a regular contributor on the media on TV and radio on Mountaineering and Mountain Rescue and his daily blog has in excess of 1,300,000 hits. www.heavywhalley.com
He has climbed in most parts of the world on over 30 expeditions and has completed the Munros 7 times, has 1 Corbett’s left and was a member of the successful RAF MRT 2001 Everest North Ridge Expedition.
He was a member of USA in a Commerative Cycle to Syracuse in November on the 30th Anniversary of the Lockerbie Tragedy. Heavy – is now retired and is a Consultant on Mountain Rescue and Lecturer and Public after Dinner Speaker.
He still presents Mountain Safety Lectures and has spoken at the Fort William, Dundee,Arran and Keswick Mountain Festivals and is currently a Team member of the Scottish Mountain Rescue Benevolent Scheme and a honorary member of SARDA .
A regular on the hills for over 55 years, he loves the wild places and tries to ensure we maintain the Right to Roam, the bothies and our no insurance for Rescue stand in the UK for Rescues.
He enjoys introducing young folk to the mountains and wild places.
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Really enjoyed hearing the podcast and still so pertinent today (having just read about the school party incident on Helvellyn). I was very fortunate to have Heavy as my instructor in Winter skills on the first couple of days back in January 1986. A Scottish winter is not a thing to be underestimated and it didn’t take long at all to pick up a first valuable tip (not to just put your mitts down on the snow where they can be blown away, when checking a map, but to tuck them inside your jacket or have them on wrist loops). A memorable night in a snow hole in Coire Dumhain followed with his faithful canine friend Teallach lying on my legs! Mountain legend. Really looking forward to the book coming out.
So glad you enjoyed the podcast. It was great to talk to Heavy, he’s so knowledgeable.