The Mountain Rescue Service

In The Beginning
The Mountain Rescue Service provides specialized technical teams comprised of world-class guides and climbers who volunteer their time and expertise in the service of hikers and climbers who need assistance, in and around the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The team is ‘on call’ 24 hours per day, all seasons, with volunteers being mobilized for a full range of incidents: complicated multi-day and nighttime searches in the depth of winter throughout the White Mountain National Forest; technical rope rescues on the region’s many rock climbing cliffs; swift water rescue assistance; and lift evacuations at area ski resorts.

Little Haystack Feb 08, 2007
Over the Years…
Mountain Rescue Service team members have been voluntarily dedicating their time and skill for over 36 years since, assisting the state of New Hampshire in all kinds of search and rescue efforts. Collectively, they have been on over 350 missions. A handful of long-time members have individually been involved in over 100.
The team has participated in multiple rescues – assisting on area cliffs with climbing accidents, broken legs, and serious falls. They have also participated in all types of searches – for lost hikers and climbers on Mount Washington in the extreme cold and high winds that make up the “World’s Worst Weather,” on the Presidentials, the Franconia Ridge, and all across the 800,000 acres that make up the White Mountains. They’ve also assisted in searches at local ski resorts and incidents occurring off the mountains.
The MRS team is currently comprised of six team leaders and 39 members on the Primary team, plus 30 individuals who round out the Secondary, support team. The MRS was built from the community and is still rooted in the community as a strong resource for not only search and rescue, but also for climbing guidance and leadership. Beyond search and rescue work, the team also acts as educators and promoters of mountain safety, the prevention of accidents and dangerous situations, and the protection of outdoor enthusiasts in the Whites.

Mt Rescue Service Climbing Teamreceives team jackets from Wild Things