Mountain Safety App Official Launch 13/02/2012

The Mountain Info Service App, that became available in the iTunes store last summer, was officially launched by Arfon MP, Hywel Williams, at Pen y Pass.

The App (previous news item 29/7/11), aims to raise awareness of mountain safety. It contains four short videos presented by Sian Lloyd, an altimeter, compass, Google map of small area (requiring phone service) with current location as centre, link to mobile version of Met Office mountain area forecasts and equipment check-lists.

Hywel Williams MP, said: "By applying the latest technology to the field of mountain safety, which is such an important issue in areas such as Snowdonia, there is a greater chance of accident prevention and of promoting the safe enjoyment of our wonderful hills and mountains.

Also speaking at the launch, British Mountaineering Council (BMC) Officer, Elfyn Jones, described the app as being aimed at a target audience identified by the 'Reducing Mountain Accidents in Snowdonia' survey as young male adults from urban areas.

The partnership scheme is supported by the BMC, Mountain Leader Training (Wales), Snowdonia National Park Authority, the Met Office and Plas y Brenin (the National Mountain Centre), with funding from the Welsh Government via Sport Wales.

Housing, Regeneration and Heritage Minister, Huw Lewis, said: "The natural beauty of Snowdonia’s hills and mountains attracts visitors from across Wales and the world. The National Park is fantastic way to enjoy the outdoors and use our green gym to keep fit."

"Ensuring the safety of visitors is paramount for their own personal well-being and to ease the pressure on our emergency services and rescue teams. This app can help visitors plan and prepare for their trip correctly and I am delighted that Welsh Government funds have helped to develop it."

As part of the Mountain Information Services Project, three additional tools have been developed which include:

• A daily report by Snowdonia National Park Wardens on ground conditions and snow levels on the mountains during the winter months. These are provided for the Met Office’s Mountain area forecasts page and on Twitter (previous news).
  
  
• A series of five short video clips narrated by Sian Lloyd, demonstrating the way to prepare for a journey in the mountains including hazard avoidance and what to do in an emergency. These are available on the Met Office and YouTube websites.
  
  
• A publicity and marketing campaign to publicise the project, made up of posters, banners, leaflets and commissioning articles in relevant magazines and periodicals.
  

Topic: Mountain Safety, Mountain Info Service, Mountain Safety in Snowdonia.

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