ONE of the busiest mountain rescue teams in Britain is celebrating 50 years of its lifesaving service.

The Llanberis Mountain Rescue team is marking the landmark anniversary with a celebration at the Victoria Hotel, Llanberis, on Saturday.

Former and current team members and friends will get together to reminisce over past incidents and recall the camaraderie and friendships which the teams says was often "forged in difficult circumstances."

Much has changed since the team's first committee met in May 1968.

Then, it consisted largely of mountain centre staff and local mountaineers and there was less specialist equipment available.

Back then, the team would respond to about 30 incidents annually.

Today, some 60 rescuers respond to call-outs on an almost weekly basis. During 2017 there were 220 call-outs and to date, this year, 221.

From 1973, the team was housed in the garage of the then newly created National Park Warden Centre in Nant Peris thanks to the support of senior warden John Ellis Roberts.

Over the decades members congregated for rescues in the centre's garage, but space was tight.

However, when the Park Authority left the building in 2013, and the team took on the tenancy and was able to turn the whole building into a purpose built resource costing £25,000.

The base now houses a new, 21st century operations room, an equipment store room, kitchen and toilet, together with a large multipurpose hall.

The extra space allows more appropriate room for mustering and deploying teams or for comforting casualties.

During the last five years three new purpose-built Land Rovers costing around £150,000 have also been purchased.

According to the team, one thing that has remained a constant is "its ethos."

A spokeperson for the team, said: "We are essentially a group of climbers and mountaineers who use our skills and knowledge to helps others when they need it most.

"From the very start we have striven to educate and not to criticise, a sentiment which began with the “MountainSafe’ venture and has led to the development of the ‘Adventure Smart Wales’ project.

"This is a multi-agency project aiming to educate potential mountain users."

"Our beginnings were as an ad-hoc collective of local mountaineers and outdoor instructors using improvised equipment. Today, Llanberis and our sister teams are now an essential component of our local emergency services providing a highly professional service while maintaining our status as volunteers.

"Our 200+ incidents a year bring us into regular contact with the Police, Ambulance, Fire and Rescue, Coastguard, RAF and EMERTS. We are looking forward to welcoming them all to our celebration."

Alun Allcock, chairman of the Llanberis team, said: "It's great to see visitors enjoying the mountains of Snowdonia. The Government’s goals of economic well-being and healthy living seem to have been successful if the numbers of visitors to our hills are seen as a benchmark.

"But, inevitably, the number of call outs have similarly increased over the last decade."

As for the future, the team looks set to deal with an ever-increasing number of call outs. Something which is already being addressed:

"Discussions with the politicians in Cardiff have started," Mr Allcock added.

"We hope to achieve greater support not only towards the support of teams and the upkeep of bases, equipment and transport but also towards educating the public about the need to prepare properly before venturing on to the mountains, to respect the mountain environment and to enjoy their experience safely."