I interviewed David “Heavy’”Whalley, one of many UK’s most skilled mountain rescue specialists, for The Scots Journal. When you loved this text why not purchase a replica of the journal or take up a subscription.

Hero of the hills: David ‘Heavy’ Whalley

David Whalley, one of many UK’s most skilled mountain rescue specialists, is chatty, cheerful and fascinating. He hardly appears to attract breath as he remembers his life and work over seven many years, together with 37 years with the RAF Mountain Rescue Service. 

Quite a few tales of ”nice adventures” worldwide – together with 30 journeys to the Alps, climbing within the Falklands, Canada, Alaska and the Himalaya, in addition to being a key member of the profitable 2001 Everest North Ridge Expedition – are peppered with tales of Scottish mountain incidents, rescues and tragedies. 

David, recognized to buddies by his nickname “Heavy”, was concerned in additional than 1000 mountain name outs and 80 plane incidents in mountainous areas. 

This included being senior workforce chief on the Lockerbie Catastrophe in December 1988 when 270 victims misplaced their lives in the course of the terrorist assault. He was additionally concerned within the hunt for survivors when a Chinook helicopter crashed on Mull of Kintyre in 1994 and the 4 RAF crew and 25 terrorism specialists had been killed.

He was workforce chief of RAF Leuchars and RAF Kinloss and deputy workforce chief at RAF Valley in North Wales.  Latterly, he labored within the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre at RAF Kinloss.

After leaving the RAF, he served the Torridon and Kinlochewe Mountain Rescue Workforce (MRT) for 3 years till he retired. He’s additionally president of the Search and Rescue Canine Affiliation Scotland.

David’s braveness, dedication and sacrifices have been recognised with a number of honours, together with a BEM, an MBE and a Distinguished Service Award for Service to Mountain Rescue. 

Earlier this 12 months, he was named because the 2023 winner of the Scottish Award for Excellence in Mountain Tradition on the Fort William Mountain Competition. The sixteenth recipient of the annual accolade, which celebrates achievement, accomplishment and the spirit of journey within the outside, David joins earlier esteemed winners together with the late Hamish MacInnes, a world mountaineer and a founding father of Glencoe MRT; celebrated mountaineer and author Dr Hamish Brown; author and presenter Cameron McNeish; adventurer Karen Darke and photographer Colin Prior.

Whereas clearly pleased with his profession, David is modest and self-deprecating. He says he’s “not likely into awards”, though, he shortly provides: “Of all of them, the Scottish Award for Excellence in Mountain Tradition is gorgeous to have. I’m humbled and honoured be named in the identical group because the previous winners.”

Quite, he reveals the rewards of his work have are available in different methods. He says: “I beloved my job and gained numerous satisfaction from being in mountain rescue.  It was a profession I used to be drawn to from a younger age, though at first I used to be informed I used to be too wee and thin to hitch the RAF.” 

He laughs at this reminiscence, then says:  “I didn’t need to work in an workplace and from childhood because the youngest baby of fogeys who appreciated to stroll in Scotland, I’ve at all times loved being outside.

“It might be thrilling being concerned in mountain incidents, too, and it’s at all times heartening to have the ability to assist different folks. Being answerable for a workforce additionally gave me confidence in myself and made me a greater chief.

“And I’ve been ready to make use of my abilities as a superb communicator. I realized numerous these from my dad who was a church minister in Ayr. He was excellent at speaking to folks.

“My work additionally took me to many unbelievable locations, together with whereas coaching and on expeditions.”

As well as, David has loved being in demand as a visitor speaker and lecturer on matters shut this coronary heart and he has saved a preferred weblog since 2011.

Nevertheless, he does agree that the rescue work might be difficult. He says: “Being concerned in mountain incidents and tragedies was all a part of the position however it was exhausting – very exhausting – at instances.”

Instantly, his voice softens and he continues: “Not each incident is a rescue. Nobody survived the Lockerbie tragedy, for instance.

“As a rescue workforce, we needed to face the trauma of demise. Again then, folks didn’t discuss of post-traumatic stress dysfunction. I can keep in mind the lads in my workforce telling me of nightmares and never having the ability to sleep. They didn’t need to inform their wives about this.

“The Lockerbie crash affected me badly, too. I used to be fairly in poor health and suffered despair, anger and insomnia. I turned to drink for some time. 

“What bought me by way of was having the ability to escape alone to the mountains. That is the place I may discover peace to take care of the aftermath and the place I discovered happiness once more.”

Now 70, David’s completely happy place remains to be within the mountains. With boyish pleasure, he talks of his quest to complete his eighth spherical of Scotland’s tallest mountains, the 282 Munros – “though I’ll be utilizing my e-bike for entry,” he confesses –  and his new ardour for exploring Scotland’’s corries. 

David says: “I’ve bought into the the large corries lately. After I was working in mountain rescue, I hung out in these corries, checking them out for potential descent routes so we may take out a casualty throughout a name out.

“Now I can take my time to discover additional. I like constructing tales of the historical past of the panorama and geology.”

David, who lives in Burghead, Moray, additionally reveals he has time to take pleasure in different facets of life lately.

He says: “I’ve slowed down a bit – I assume that’s pure as I’ve bought older and I’ve had some well being issues – however I admire the chance to take issues a bit simpler. This isn’t simply within the outside however in different areas of my life, too.

“For therefore lengthy, I used to be too egocentric to be a superb associate in my varied relationships. I don’t blame my girlfriends for getting fed up with my life and on a regular basis I spent working or away on adventures. However now I can take pleasure in spending time with my pal Kalie at her residence on the west coast and strolling together with her.”

Touchingly, David sees the daughter of a earlier associate, and her kids, as his step-daughter and grandchildren. “They’re such an exquisite addition to my life,” he says, warmly. “They don’t dwell too far-off from me and I actually like spending time with them. 

“Top-of-the-line issues about receiving my award on the Fort William Mountain Competition was having them there with me. It actually meant an incredible deal to me.”

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