TRAINEES hoping to work on the land have been getting pointers on how to survive when conditions get extreme.

They have been taking part in special training to help prepare them for the rough situations they may face when working in the Yorkshire Dales.

Through apprenticeships the trainees often spend much of their time working in remote locations, learning trades such as environmental conservation, game-keeping and woodland management.

They are part of the Dales Rural Trainee Scheme run by the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust to give 18 to 24-year-olds the qualifications, experience and rural skills needed to manage the landscape sensitively and sustainably.

But the landscape can be harsh and unforgiving, so skills such as map reading and navigation, competent use of specialist outdoor equipment, and basic first aid training are also needed.

And to help them gain those skills a mountain rescue scenario was set up by Yorkshire Dales Guides.

The project officer of the Dales Rural Trainee Scheme, Jo Boulter, said: “This exciting training event was very effective, providing the trainees with the necessary skills and confidence to cope with working in the demanding terrain and unpredictable weather of the Yorkshire Dales.”