Hikers urged to 'take care' this Easter - with emergency callouts on the rise
Good Friday is the busiest day of the year for the nation to be getting outside for walking, hiking or biking
Last updated 18th Apr 2025
As callouts to mountain rescue hit and all time high - anyone out hiking this Easter is being urged to take care.
The data from Mountain Rescue England and Wales has revealed a record-breaking year for call-outs, with the rise in rescues said to be driven by the craze for people to take Instagram-able selfies at some of the UK’s most remote beauty spots.
Some of the so-called 'rescue blackspots' include Eryri (Snowdonia), the Lake District and the Peak District, where rescue teams are stretched thin — with some reporting up to six separate incidents in a single day.
Other National Parks aren’t far behind, and specific high call-out locations elsewhere include South Wales, Northumberland and Cornwall.
The data has also revealed that who is being rescued is changing.
Before the pandemic, data from the OS uncovered that the most rescued age group was 50-54, but today, it is the Gen Z generation of under 24s.
Harry Foxton, from the team in Buxton, said: "The more people that are outdoors, then the more people who, statistically are injured.
"But we're now seeing that 16 to 24 year olds make up a disproportionate number of the callouts which we receive.
"We tend to get around 100 per year, mostly of lower leg injuries.
"But what we're also seeing now is more people getting rescued after overestimating their abilities when out hiking and climbing."
The new data shows there’s been a 24% rise in incidents over the past five years and in 2024 there wasn’t a single day when Mountain Rescue teams in England and Wales – all manned by volunteers – weren’t called out somewhere in the UK.
Good Friday is the busiest day of the year for the nation to be getting outside for walking, hiking or biking, and now, the OS and Mountain Rescue England are issuing an urgent warning for people to be better prepared when setting off for the nation’s beauty spots to grab a selfie.
The busiest MREW teams were Llanberis, who received 9% of all call-outs, Ogwen Valley (5%), Wasdale (4%), Keswick (4%), Langdale/Ambleside (4%), and Edale (4%)
MREW and OS are keen for the millions heading out to enjoy the outdoors over the long weekend to prioritise safety by preparing properly and ensuring they have reliable navigational tools, such as OS Map app, at hand.
You can also use WhatThreeWords, and find out more on the Mountain Rescue England and Wales website.