MOUNTAIN rescue teams responded to a host of incidents in the Lakes and the Dales in their busiest period of the year so far.

In just four days, seven teams attended 10 call-outs across the region’s fells.

On Friday a family of six were assisted by mountain rescuers after getting into difficulties while walking on the Pennine Way.

A spokesman for Kirkby Stephen Mountain Rescue Team said the group had become 'disoriented and very tired' near High Cup Nick. They were helped off the hill to Dufton.

Later that evening, Langdale and Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team (LAMRT) was called to help a fell walker who slipped and injured his knee at Hell Ghyll, Great Langdale.

When the team arrived he had self-rescued to the valley bottom and he was taken to hospital by his friend.

The next morning LAMRT were called out again to rescue a family of four camping in the Langdales after their tents were damaged by strong winds and snow.

They were eventually found between Codale Tarn and Stickle Tarn and escorted back to Grasmere.

Shortly after midnight Saturday, a full-scale mountain rescue alert was issued after four foreign walkers were reported overdue from a Friday trip up Scafell Pike.

Wasdale MRT was alerted shortly before 1am but due to the group’s limited English the rescuers were unable to get an accurate fix on their location, and the search operation was delayed until first light. Meanwhile, the walkers managed to make their own way off the fell.

On Saturday a young woman was airlifted to hospital with a head wound after she fell around 50 feet while walking at Ullswater.

Patterdale MRT and medics from the North West Air Ambulance attended the casualty, who had fallen while traversing loose ground on Glenridding Dodd.

A team spokesman said: "A rope lowering system was set up and the casualty was lowered on a stretcher to safer ground.”

In their second incident that day, Patterdale rescuers assisted Penrith MRT after a mountain biker crashed above Rampsgill Head near Kidsty Pike.

On Sunday, members of the Clapham-based Cave Rescue Organisation were called out three times in three hours after the area was hit by severe weather conditions.

The team was first called out at 10.50am to help two walkers stuck with their dog on the top of Ingleborough in high winds and blizzards.

Members made their way up the fell, and a team spokesperson said: “They were met on the way by two runners who, realising the plight of the walkers, had encouraged them to make their way down from the summit, as they were too poorly dressed to wait for help.

“They were placed in the team vehicle, warmed and given warm drinks before being taken down the hill.”

After dropping the runners off at Ribblehead, team members were approached in their vehicle by a ‘distressed’ cyclist who had become cold and fatigued in the poor weather conditions.

Less than half an hour later, the CRO was alerted to its third incident, where a group of walkers above Malham was in difficulties.

On Monday evening, 19 members of Coniston Mountain Rescue Team rescued two walkers who were lost on the Old Man of Coniston. The couple had become disoriented in low cloud and unable to retrace their steps.