Cairngorm John cover art

Cairngorm John

A Life in Mountain Rescue

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Cairngorm John

By: John Allen
Narrated by: David Monteath
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £16.99

Buy Now for £16.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

The Cairngorm mountains in Scotland are a magnet for climbers and walkers. John Allen spent more than thirty years in the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team saving the lost and injured. This special anniversary edition of his story includes new chapters discussing how mountain rescue has developed over the last decade.

©2019 John Allen with Robert Davidson (P)2022 W F Howes
Climbing & Mountaineering Sports Outdoor
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

Call-Out cover art
Bothy Tales cover art
The Last Hillwalker cover art
High Risk cover art
Critical Hours cover art
The Farthest Shore: Seeking Solitude and Nature on the Cape Wrath Trail in Winter cover art
Ascent cover art
Rescue Pilot cover art
Savage Arena cover art
The Shining Mountain cover art
Tides cover art
Eiger Dreams cover art
Time on Rock cover art
Beyond the Mountain cover art
Finding Hildasay cover art
The Mountain cover art

Critic reviews

"The twisting mix of sadness and wit are blended together with perfection." (Mountain Rescue Magazine)

"Makes Touching the Void seem like a pretty routine day on the hill." (Iain Macwhirter, The Sunday Herald)

What listeners say about Cairngorm John

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    28
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    27
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    26
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

All of it including outstanding narration

A life less ordinary! Commitment, dedication, skill; a story of those who put themselves at risk to support those of us who put ourselves at risk (responsibly). Simply outstanding!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating story of John’s life in mountain rescue

Great book with rescue story’s being respectfully shared. Gave me a real insight into how hard these volunteers work and how we all need to be well prepared for days out especially somewhere that can be bleak and remote. Really enjoyed listening to this, good narration and the enjoyable story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

An Excellent Listen

A really enjoyable book with some fascinating story telling relating to all things mountain rescue. Well worth a read/listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Respect.

This is a fascinating insight into the work carried out voluntarily by the men and women of the Cairngorm mountain rescue team. Starting with a biography of John Allen aka Cairngorm John. Then on to actual cases where the team put their own lives at risk to save climbers and ramblers who get in to trouble in one of the roughest areas of the country. It's a very enlightening listen and although never having been a climber I can understand the comment that this true story should be part of every climbers reading matter. David Monteef does a brilliant job of the narration. Highly Recommended.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Essential reading for any mountaineer

Through his wealth of experience John Allen informs the reader vividly of his experience and describes the varied rescues he and his team were involved in in and around the cairngorms. I also learned a huge amount that I can apply to keeping myself safe in the hills. Thorough enjoyable account of a life in mountain rescue.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Unexpectedly, good!

It starts with a bit of a biography about John Alan, but moves into documented, rescues over the years that are either tragic, funny, or a huge success. Give the reader, regardless of experience on the Mountain, or interest, an increased awareness of what can go wrong, which ultimately keep everyone that enjoys the sport of mountaineering safer. I was sad when it finished and one of the stories reduced me to furlong tears, I don’t think has ever happened before listening to real life stories.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Interesting from start to finish.

An in depth view of how the MRT's train, work and succeed in rescuing those unfortunate enough to have found themselves lost, and/or injured.
Intelligently and thoughtfully written, I found this book completely absorbing.
Perfectly narrated by David Monteath.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing

Amazing insight into the workings of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue team.
A must listen to anyone who ventures into the UK mountains

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

One of the best

What a great few hours ! Every hill walker should have a copy ! Story’s keep you gripped

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Fascinating and detailed account

Exciting rescue stories told with warmth and humour, giving a good glimpse into the minds of these extraordinary volunteers. Some sections are a bit slower (like the fund raising stuff), but I appreciate this too - it's the unseen side of things.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!