As some of you will know, Herby is a member of Salzburg Mountain Rescue, as is Jimbo – our black lab. As part of their commitment, the two boys are not only liable to being called away at a moment’s notice, but also they have to complete regular training activities – making sure that, when the time comes, they are at the top of their games and able to expedite a successful rescue.
Training activities take place throughout the year, indoors and out. They involve arduous hikes over the alpine terrain, climbing with ropes (not so easy when you have paws instead of hands and feet!), and digging up fellow mountain rescuers whose turn it is to be the avalanche victim. There’s even an indoor helicopter simulator, so the teams can practice lowering themselves and their four-legged friends into hard to reach rescue sites, then recovering their victims the same way they went in. It’s not a commitment the boys take lightly, but it’s people like them that make it safe(r) for us to have fun on the mountain.
So chaps, we salute you. Thanks for looking out for us.
Here are some photos taken from the last few training sessions. As you’ll see, some of the mountain rescuers are cuter than others… Enjoy!
Photos credits: Fotos Gerhard Imlauer, Coen Weesjes, Maria Riedler, Michael Koch jun., Hannes Höll, Norbert Hasenauer, Bergrettung Hüttschlag, Schwabl Hias.
Source posts: www.bergrettung-salzburg.at
