FRUSTRATED mountain rescue team leaders have condemned techno-reliant walkers who are trying to use mobile phones ‘apps’ as navigational aids.

Increasing numbers of gadget-loving hikers are going astray on the Lake District fells and have contributed to a 50 per cent increase in call-outs over the last five years.

According to team leaders, a new generation of walkers is hitting the hills without the essentials – a map and compass – but rely instead on mobile phone applications to get their bearings.

Langdale and Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team leader Nick Owen said: “They’re great with technology but they can’t walk up a hill without getting into trouble.

“They take no sensible kit like spare clothing and they rely on technical gadgetry which they’re not familiar with.

“It’s a generation that’s never experienced risk or inconvenience – they get lost and then can’t think beyond the fact they are wet and cold.”

Recent incidents that mountain rescue teams have attended include:

* A couple who tried to find their way off a peak, in thick mist, in the Rydal Valley, using Google maps on their iPhone.

* A pair in their 30s who used a camera flash to attract attention after getting lost in the dark without a map or torch.

* A party of four who became disorientated in fog on the Scafell ridge and panicked as their mobile phone map was not detailed enough.

Kendal mountain rescue team leader Eddie Harrison said they were also being called to the rescue of ‘embarrassed’ hikers who had become over reliant on technology.

“People think technology will make their life easier but a lot of the younger generation seem to be relying on it.

“It’s all very well having a phone and sat nav but they won’t always get you out of a fix - especially when they have no signal and run out of power.”

Lake District rescue association incident officer Ged Feeney has recorded a steady increase in the number of call-outs that Cumbria’s 12 teams have responded to.

In 2010 there were 600 instances where walkers, cyclists, climbers and gliders had required help compared to 406 in 2006.

The number of people needing medical attention increased by 54 per cent.

Meanwhile, web design firm v3 media, of Kendal, said there was a growing interest in the web as a way of engaging with the landscape.

The firm has launched its own mountain biking map application for the Kentmere area but director Sean Connell said: “There’s a big potential for these applications but we would always advise people to have proper equipment with them – it’s common sense.”

More than 15 million people say walking is a key activity for a Lakes holiday, according to a survey by Cumbria Tourism.

Spokesman Ellis Butcher said: “Some people go up the fells and treat them like London, where they can call a taxi out if they get stuck.

"Unfortunately the mobile phone is not a get out of jail free card.

“We have safety information in tourist centres and accommodation but there is not much you can do to legislate against the foolish few.”