For over 60 years the U.W.F.R.A. has been rescuing people and animals from the caves and fells around Wharfedale, Nidderdale, Littondale and Mid-Airedale.

The majority of its work involves attending incidents involving people or animals in difficulty in caves, potholes, mineshafts, on fells, crags or anywhere not accessible to the normal Emergency Services.

The team is made up of over 80 well trained and well equipped volunteer cavers, climbers and mountaineers and is on call 365 days a year.

Its membership live in "the Dale" or travel from as far away as Leeds or Bradford and are prepared to respond to a callout at any time of the day or night and in the worst of weather conditions.  Whilst it has been called to assist at major national incidents, such as the Lockerbie air crash, it has also had its own difficult rescues, such as the successful extraction of 2 trapped cavers through 200 metres of flooded passage at Sleets Gill. Rescuing exhausted and injured cavers and fell walkers who are lost or have broken bones is more the norm. The Association's activities also involve helping local farmers, usually with, livestock stranded on crags, in mineshafts, rivers or snow

 Patron: Lord Crathorne. H.M Lord Lieutenant