Edale Mountain Rescue Team has taken delivery of a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4x4 to transport its volunteers across the Peak District National Park.

The van has been kitted out to fulfil a number of roles; accessing remote locations safely and efficiently, moving casualties across challenging terrain, and acting as a mobile command and control centre for complex incidents such as missing person searches.

It has already been pressed into service to assist injured walkers and climbers who flock to the region’s hills, moors and rocky outcrops, and to assist police searches for people reported missing.

The Sprinter 4x4 is a genuine, factory-built option, rather than an aftermarket conversion, and sits higher than its standard counterpart, which assists when fording water as well as tackling uneven ground.

It employs rear-wheel drive for road use, but all-wheel drive can be selected when venturing off road. Conventional 4x4 vehicles rely on mechanically operated differential locks to prevent spinning wheels and guarantee equal speed at all four corners.

By contrast the Sprinter 4x4 uses a development of the acclaimed Mercedes-Benz 4-ETS (Electronic Traction System), which is integrated with the Adaptive ESP anti-skid technology to provide traction management – on slippery ground this senses when a wheel starts to spin, and sends drive to those with good grip.

Edale MRT is a registered charity and has more than 50 active members, all of whom are volunteers. The team responds to more than 120 incidents each year and is on call, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in all weathers.