cbmrt.org.uk

Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team covers the central section of the Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog) in South Wales, including Pen y Fan (886 m, the highest mountain in South Wales), Cribyn and Corn Du, the Ystradfellte waterfalls, and the Newport, Cardiff and valleys areas. If your day out falls within that footprint, this is the team that would respond to a mountain rescue call for you.

The coverage area in detail

The team describes its responsibility as the central section of the Brecon Beacons, and lists these specific places:

The inclusion of Newport, Cardiff and the valleys is worth noting: the team presents itself as “more than just mountains,” so its remit is not limited to high ground. The page does not publish a boundary map or a full list of every hill and valley within the patch, so for a location right on the edge of the described area, treat the list above as indicative rather than a precise border.

Why the coverage area matters before you set out

Mountain rescue in the UK is organised by team areas, and the correct team is dispatched through the police. Knowing which team covers your planned route helps you understand who is responsible for you, but it does not change how you call for help.

How to call for help anywhere in this area

The team’s own instructions are:

1. Dial 999 or 112.
2. Ask for POLICE.
3. State that you need MOUNTAIN RESCUE.

You do not need to know the team’s name or phone number to raise the alarm. The police will task the appropriate team for your location.

The non-emergency contact

The team lists a non-emergency telephone number, 01685 708800, for general contact. This is not the number to use in an emergency — use 999 or 112 and ask for police.

A quick self-check before you go

The team promotes the AdventureSmart UK message and asks walkers to answer three questions before a day in the mountains:

• Do I have the right gear?
• Do I know what the weather will be like?
• Am I confident that I have the knowledge and skills for the day?

If the answer to any of these is no, adjust your plan — choose a lower or shorter route, check a mountain forecast, or go with someone experienced — before heading into the central Beacons.

About the team

Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team is a voluntary organisation, registered charity number 1186781. Its correspondence address is Central Beacons Mountain Rescue, C/O Azets Accountancy Services, Ty Derw, Lime Tree Court, Mulberry Drive, Cardiff Gate Business Park, Pontprennau, Cardiff, CF23 8AB. The website also has sections for joining, supporting and shopping, including a “Pro Tips” calendar; the page notes that calendar orders are handled by volunteers alongside full-time jobs, so dispatch can take longer than a commercial shop.

In an emergency in the Central Beacons area, dial 999 or 112, ask for POLICE, and state clearly that you need MOUNTAIN RESCUE. This is the procedure published by the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team (CBMRT), the voluntary organisation that covers the central section of the Brecon Beacons, including Pen y Fan (886m), Cribyn, Corn Du, the Ystradfellte waterfalls, Newport, Cardiff and the valleys.

Why you ask for the police, not "mountain rescue"

Mountain rescue teams in the UK are not a separate emergency service you can dial directly. The police coordinate search and rescue on land, so the emergency operator routes your call to the police force responsible for the area, which then tasks the appropriate rescue team. Asking for "mountain rescue" first can waste time; asking for "police" gets the request into the right system immediately.

Step-by-step: making the call

1. Dial 999 or 112. Both work; 112 reaches the same emergency operators.
2. Ask for POLICE. Say it plainly as your requested service.
3. State that you need MOUNTAIN RESCUE. Be explicit — the call handler needs to know the incident is on high ground or remote terrain, not a road or town incident.
4. Give your location as precisely as you can. Grid reference, a named feature (summit, path junction, waterfall), or a what3words location all help. If you are unsure, describe what you can see.
5. Describe the problem. Number of people injured, the nature of the injury or situation, and whether anyone is lost or overdue.
6. Stay on the line and follow instructions. The handler may ask you to keep the phone on, conserve battery, or shelter in place.

What to have ready before you need it

• A charged phone, ideally with a way to share a grid reference (a mapping app or paper map with grid lines).
• The three questions CBMRT asks walkers to consider before setting out: Do I have the right gear? Do I know what the weather will be like? Am I confident I have the knowledge and skills for the day? (This is the AdventureSmartUK framework the team promotes.)

What the team covers

CBMRT describes itself as "more than just mountains." Its coverage area includes:

If you are outside this area, the same 999/112 → POLICE → MOUNTAIN RESCUE procedure applies, but a different team will be tasked.

Common pitfalls

• Asking for "ambulance" for a mountain injury. An ambulance cannot reach most upland locations; the police-led mountain rescue route is what gets trained rescuers to you.
• Waiting to see if it gets better. If you are unsure whether it is an emergency, the team's guidance is to call — rescuers would rather be called early.
• Relying on a direct team phone number. CBMRT publishes a non-emergency number (01685 708800) for general contact, but emergencies must go through 999 or 112. Do not use the office number in an emergency.

Beyond emergencies

The CBMRT website also covers how to support the team, join as a volunteer, and its shop — including a "Pro Tips" calendar sold as a fundraiser, which the team notes has been so popular that batches sell out and dispatch can be delayed because the shop is run by volunteers with full-time jobs. None of this is needed to make an emergency call, but it explains the site's other sections if you land on the homepage first.

The one thing to remember: 999 or 112 → POLICE → MOUNTAIN RESCUE, and stay on the line.

Ask yourself: Do I have the right gear? Do I know what the weather will be like? Am I confident that I have the knowledge and skills for the day? These are the three checks the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team (CBMRT) puts first on its website, under the #adventuresmart message. If you can answer yes to all three, you have a reasonable starting point for a day on the hills. If any answer is no, fix that gap before you set off.

Why these three questions matter

CBMRT covers the central section of the Brecon Beacons, including Pen y Fan (886m), Cribyn, Corn Du, the Ystradfellte waterfalls, and the areas around Newport, Cardiff and the valleys. That is a large and varied patch — high exposed summits, waterfall country and urban-fringe valleys — so the same three questions apply whether you are heading up a mountain or walking a low-level route.

The team frames the questions as a way to "make a good day better", not as a test you have to pass. The point is to catch the common problems before they start: wrong kit, unexpected weather, or a route that is beyond your experience.

Question 1: Do I have the right gear?

Work through this as a practical kit check rather than a vague feeling:

• Layers and waterproofs for the conditions you expect — and the conditions you might get.
• Navigation tools you can actually use if visibility drops (map and compass, plus a charged phone as backup).
• Food, water and a headtorch, even on a short day, in case you are out longer than planned.
• Emergency items — a shelter or bivvy bag, whistle and first-aid basics.

If you are missing something essential, either borrow or buy it, or choose a route where the missing item genuinely is not needed. Be honest with yourself about which of those two you are doing.

Question 2: Do I know what the weather will be like?

Check a mountain-specific forecast for the area and the day, not just a general town forecast. Look at wind speed and direction, cloud and visibility, temperature with wind chill, and rain. Conditions on Pen y Fan and the surrounding ridges can differ sharply from the valleys below.

Then ask the follow-up: what will I do if the forecast is wrong or deteriorates? Having a shorter alternative route or a turn-around point decided in advance is part of answering this question properly.

Question 3: Am I confident I have the knowledge and skills for the day?

This is the question people skip. Be specific about what the day demands:

If the honest answer is "not quite", pick an easier objective, go with someone more experienced, or get some training first.

Where to get more guidance

CBMRT directs readers to AdventureSmartUK for more on how to make a good day better. That is the natural next stop if you want to turn these three questions into a fuller pre-trip routine.

If something does go wrong

The three questions reduce risk; they do not remove it. If you need help in an emergency in this area, the team's instructions are:

1. Dial 999 or 112.
2. Ask for POLICE.
3. State that you need MOUNTAIN RESCUE.

For non-emergency contact, CBMRT lists a telephone number on its site: 01685 708800. Use the emergency route above when it is genuinely an emergency.

A quick pre-departure routine

Before you leave, run the three questions in order — gear, weather, skills — and note one concrete action for any "no". Then tell someone your route and expected return time. That combination is what the #adventuresmart message is asking of you, and it takes only a few minutes.

cbmrt.org.uk is the official website of the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team, a voluntary organisation that covers the central section of the Brecon Beacons in South Wales. The site is a public information and support hub for the team rather than a commercial service: it explains who the team is, where it operates, how to call for help, and how the public can support or join. Use it to understand the team's coverage area, learn the correct emergency procedure, or find ways to donate and get involved — not to book a rescue service or buy professional rescue cover.

Who runs the site and what area it covers

The team describes itself as voluntary and responsible for the Central section of the Brecon Beacons. Its stated coverage includes:

• South Wales' highest mountain, Pen y Fan (886m)
• Cribyn and Corn Du
• The Ystradfellte waterfalls
• Newport, Cardiff and the valleys

That list matters if you are trying to work out whether this is the right team for a given location. The site frames the team as "more than just mountains," reflecting that its patch extends beyond the high peaks into waterfall country and urban areas.

The emergency instruction the site leads with

The most important practical content on the homepage is the emergency procedure. The site states:

1. Dial 999 or 112.
2. Ask for POLICE.
3. State you need MOUNTAIN RESCUE.

In the UK, mountain rescue is coordinated through the police, which is why the site directs callers to ask for police rather than a separate rescue number. The site also lists a non-emergency telephone number (01685 708800) for general contact — that number is not for emergencies.

The three questions the site asks visitors

Before heading out, the homepage asks readers to check three things:

• Do I have the right gear?
• Do I know what the weather will be like?
• Am I confident that I have the knowledge and skills for the day?

These are presented as a self-check under the #adventuresmart tag, with a pointer to AdventureSmartUK for more detail. The framing is preventive: the site's purpose includes reducing the need for rescues, not only responding to them.

Main sections of the website

The navigation reflects a volunteer organisation's priorities:

The site also carries a live statistics panel ("2025 Team Statistics so far...") tracking rescue hours, incidents, exercises and events, plus a Facebook feed embedded on the homepage.

The shop and the calendar

The site runs an online shop; the homepage shows a cart total in pounds, and the featured product is a "Pro Tips" calendar (currently listed for 2027). The team's own Facebook update, quoted on the site, notes that demand outstripped expectations and that a batch of pre-orders may not be dispatched until December, because the shop is run by volunteers with full-time jobs. If you order, treat dispatch timing as uncertain and check the product page for current status rather than assuming quick delivery.

Contact and organisational details

• Address: Central Beacons Mountain Rescue, C/O Azets Accountancy Services, Ty Derw, Lime Tree Court, Mulberry Drive, Cardiff Gate Business Park, Pontprennau, Cardiff, CF23 8AB
• Non-emergency telephone: 01685 708800
• Registered Charity Number: 1186781

The charity number is a useful check: it confirms the team is a registered charity, consistent with its voluntary status. The address is care of an accountancy firm, so it is a correspondence address rather than a staffed rescue base.

When this site is the right place to look

Use cbmrt.org.uk if you want to know whether the Central Beacons team covers your planned route, need the correct way to summon mountain rescue in an emergency, or want to support or join a voluntary team. If you need a rescue right now, do not browse the site — dial 999 or 112, ask for police, and state that you need mountain rescue.

You can reach the team through the contact details listed on cbmrt.org.uk, support them by visiting the "Support Us" section or buying from the online shop, and apply to join through "Join Us." For anything urgent, do not use the website — dial 999 or 112, ask for POLICE, and state that you need MOUNTAIN RESCUE.

Contacting the team

The site lists the following non-emergency contact information:

The phone number is explicitly labelled non-emergency, so treat it as a route for general enquiries rather than for requesting a rescue. The address is care of an accountancy firm, which suggests it is a correspondence address rather than a base you can visit.

In an emergency

The homepage sets out the procedure plainly:

1. Dial 999 or 112.
2. Ask for POLICE.
3. State that you need MOUNTAIN RESCUE.

In the UK, mountain rescue is coordinated through the police, which is why the request goes to them rather than directly to the team.

Supporting the team

The main navigation includes a "Support Us" section, which is the starting point for anyone wanting to help the organisation financially or otherwise. The team is a voluntary organisation, and its Facebook updates describe members as volunteers with full-time jobs.

A concrete example of support is the shop. The site's "Shop" section sells items such as the Pro Tips Calendar 2027 (linked at www.cbmrt.org.uk/product/pro-tips-calendar-2027/). A recent Facebook post noted that a first batch of 400 pre-orders was being packaged and posted by volunteers, and that a further batch was unlikely to be dispatched until December. If you order, expect volunteer-paced fulfilment rather than standard retail speed.

Joining the team

"Join Us" appears in the main navigation alongside "Support Us" and "Shop." That is the entry point for people interested in becoming part of the team; the site does not summarise eligibility or training requirements on the homepage, so the Join Us page is where to check before applying.

What the team covers

Understanding the area helps you judge whether the team is the right point of contact. Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team covers the central section of the Brecon Beacons, including:

• Pen y Fan (886m), South Wales' highest mountain
• Cribyn and Corn Du
• The Ystradfellte waterfalls
• Newport, Cardiff and the valleys

The team's tagline, "More than just mountains," reflects that its remit extends beyond summits to urban and valley areas within this patch.

Before you go out

The site promotes the AdventureSmartUK message and asks visitors to answer three questions before a day in the mountains:

1. Do I have the right gear?
2. Do I know what the weather will be like?
3. Am I confident that I have the knowledge and skills for the day?

These are worth running through before setting off — they are the same conditions that often determine whether a call to mountain rescue becomes necessary.