The man faced a night on Snowdon in winter conditions. Photo: John S Turner CC-BY-SA-2.0
A teenager is ‘very lucky’ to be alive after he was rescued from Wales’s highest mountain in winter conditions and winds gusting to more than 90mph.
At one stage members of the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team had to consider retreating and leaving the walker on the exposed Crib y Ddysgyl ridge on Snowdon as conditions were so dangerous.
One rescuer was blown off his feet during the rescue on Wednesday night. A team member said it was ‘pure fluke’ they found the man and he would almost certainly have died if he spent the night on the mountain.
Team chairman Rob Johnson said when the 19-year-old man rang for help from the ridge, which is a continuation of the challenging Crib Goch, he was lost, ‘very, very cold’ and beginning to slur his words due to hypothermia.
He was inappropriately dressed for the mountain, wearing a leather jacket, jeans and plimsolls.
Mr Johnson said: “The team was called late in the afternoon as the light began to fade on the snow-covered peaks.
“The 19-year-old had climbed Snowdon on his own via the Llanberis Path and then become misplaced in descent, following an extremely narrow ridge that is not a great place to be in high winds. He became trapped on steep crags and made the call for help.
“What made last night’s callout exceptional was the weather that the team of volunteers faced. Mountain experts counsel against traversing narrow ridges when wind speeds are greater than 35mph. Last night’s gusts on the mountain were at least 80-90 mph and could easily have been more.
“Combine this with snow on the ground and the potential consequences for the volunteer team members of getting blown over were very high.
“The first search party to reach the ridge experienced winds so severe that a member of the party was blown off their feet and forced to retreat to safer ground.
“With darkness falling and the increasing possibility of a large scale search the team also requested the assistance of RAF Valley Mountain Rescue Team.”
The team co-ordinator for the rescue said: “The conditions reported by the first party were so extreme that we had to seriously consider whether we could justify deploying more people to the area.
“On the one hand we had a young walker in jeans, plimsolls and a leather jacket rapidly succumbing to hypothermia; on the other a responsibility not to put team members’ lives in such serious danger. There was a real possibility that we might have been forced to leave him there on the mountain.”
Mr Johnson said the initial search area was sizeable and included steep and technical terrain. Marred by poor visibility, it was through sheer luck that a very short break in the wind allowed the last two members of the search party to make voice contact with the walker as the group passed by.
One of the first party members to reach the teenager said: “I’m certain that if we hadn’t found him when we did we would have been recovering his body the next morning.
“Those of us at the front of the group had passed within 100m of him and were on our way to search further up the mountain. It was pure fluke that the wind subsided when it did.
“He was in a difficult to reach location and with conditions due to get worse a detailed search of that area would have been impossible. He is very lucky to be alive.”
The Llanberis team chairman said: “Because of his precarious position at the top of a gully where a number of fatalities have previously occurred, the team used ropes to recover him to safety.
“He was then assisted down to rescue team vehicles and taken to the rescue team’s base in Nant Peris for a bit of friendly advice.
“The rescue sums up the commitment of mountain rescue team members across the UK. Men and women who put down their daily lives and head up a mountain in weather that no-one else would be out in, prepared to risk their own lives to save another, without pay, without expenses and many, many times a year.”
Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team is the busiest mountain rescue team in the UK with 184 incidents in 2014. Its members had already been called out once this year to deal with walkers stuck in snowy conditions on nearby Crib Goch.
Mr Johnson said: “[The team] has a dual remit of rescue and education in mountain safety and tries to draw lessons learnt from rescues like this one, without attributing blame or casting judgement.
“This rescue highlights the importance of good navigation skills in the mountains, always carry a map and compass and know how to use them.
“It also highlights the need for appropriate clothing to stay warm and dry in some pretty extreme weather. For much of the winter the mountains of Snowdonia have snow and ice on them. It can be there one day and gone the next. It is important to check a mountain weather forecast to establish if there is snow and what the wind speeds are.
“When the mountains are covered in snow and ice, crampons and an ice axe become necessary for progress. You can get more safety advice and links to further information from the team website.”
He said walkers and climbers considering a trip to Snowdonia should research their routes thoroughly and check on the weather and ground conditions using the Met Office’s mountain weather forecast or the Mountain Weather Information Service.
Mike
15 January 2015My Goodness Me. What brave and resourceful people are in this particular MRT. To save someone's life like that. Amazing. It is to their immense credit that they will do their best, no matter how stupid the person has been as the author of their own misfortune,
Just shows you that in Winter you can lose even the most obvious path easily and nearly die as a result. In high summer he would have been overdressed for that path. In winter, well!
I hate to say it but perhaps an electronic sign at the bottom of the path with update on the weather? We close roads in Scotland with gates when the weather is bad. Perhaps we should 'close' paths that attract the unprepared and the downright foolish? Not for their benefit, but for the benefit of the MRT.
James gillon
15 January 2015Another fantastic job by all involved. Just a shame that they were called out to rescue a total tool. Jeans , plimsolls and a leather jacket , you couldn't make this up .
A very grateful hill walker. .
John Hobbs
15 January 2015I suspect that whilst members of the MRT will have remained completely professional throughout this rescue inside they were probably seething at the complete foolishness and lack of responsibility shown by this individual. Lets hope he has learned a valuable lesson and a sizeable donation to the MRT is on its way.
stuart
15 January 2015Ha,ha, "electronic sign" saying path closed is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! Closed to people in flip flops & tee shirts as well as me who has spent years in the Mountains & loves a challenge when the weather takes a turn for the worse (or better if your like me!) If the day ever comes when they start putting electronic signs on our precious Mountains then I'm sure there are lots of us who will be taking them down just as quick! p.s. how about a one way system on Crib Goch & Aonach Eagach while their at it & no climbing at night.....
Peter Sheen
15 January 2015Top people, MRT. I take my hat off to you. You see people inappropriately prepared all year round and they generally only put themselves at risk. Trouble is, people like this don't go near the resources that would hopefully cause them not to be so stupid.
JH.
15 January 2015Another (very lucky) numpty.
I don't agree with charging for 'proper' & legitimate rescues BUT, when numpties like this put other peoples lives at risk by their irresponsible actions then..... I say charge them the full amount for the rescue and helicopter call out. Perhaps people will start to think more seriously about going walking dressed inappropriately ??
JH.
Margaret
15 January 2015Close the hills - careful with that approach!
Back in the 1970s a Chief Constable declared that the hills were closed because of avalanche risk - I don't think he did it again as Bill Murray put that gentleman back in his place.
So it's not appropriate for competent mountaineers to take to the hill during periods of poor weather, but it is appropriate for Mountain Rescue Team members (who are all mountaineers) to be used by, for example, the police to assist the non mountaineering public during periods of poor weather.
I am not about to criticise any mountain rescue team and, as I used to be a volunteer with a Scottish team many years ago, neither do I feel the need to lavish them with praise them; which appears to be the current fashion for some reason.
At present there is an older mountaineering tradition that is struggling to cope with the emerging expectations of the new Commercialists.
BNN
15 January 2015There should be a tagging system that you can register for at Pete's Eats.
You should complete an application form to be given a dongle that allows you through a set of metal gates - something like the entrance to Bank Tube station.
The questionnaire would ascertain your suitability given the current weather conditions.
Just a thought.
Tim
15 January 2015“He was then assisted down to rescue team vehicles and taken to the rescue team’s base in Nant Peris for a bit of friendly advice."
Hope that was a good thick ear!
NJD
15 January 2015From Billy Connolly live at the Albert Hall...
"The Mountain Rescue are sick of it. They're up Ben Nevis saving people in khaki shorts and ******* sand shoes"
That kid needs to have his head checked. No sane person would go up Snowdon in what he was wearing. Should have been taken straight to Hergest. And yes for being that stupid you deserve to be billed.
Fellwalker
15 January 2015My my when will inexperienced people begin to show respect for our wild places, treat them with respect and you will be rewarded 10 fold. I know we all have to start somewhere but a bit of common sense is needed, re Billy's comment about Ben Nevis I have seen people walking up there in moccasins when there has been 10 foot of snow on the summit ! Thank you to the wonderful rescue services where would we be without them.
Emrys William
15 January 2015All credit to the MRT on this one. But give the kid a break. He obviously didn't know what he was letting himself in for because he had never been given the opportunities to experience mountain conditions in adverse weather. I suspect that people no longer have the ability to make there own risk assessment because they are over protected during their childhood.
Tina
16 January 2015Well done to the rescue team, glad the teenager is alive but when will the public realise that you need correct clothing for the weather and activities. The Norwegians say there is no such thing as bad weather just bad clothing . We should grow up with the same philosophy . Well done to the heros for their continued service to the public .
Ian512
16 January 2015There are a few post here that appear to come from those with little or no experience of mountaineering.
Some comments almost create the impression that 'mountain rescue good - mountaineers bad'.
It should be remembered that rescue team members are also mountaineers, or they would not be able to do the job.
Margaret
16 January 2015A year or two back I posted on this site that we should be very careful with this whole business of control (excluding those who aspire to leadership in its various forms) and noted that back in the 1970s a Chief Constable declared that the hills were closed because of avalanche risk. Thankfully Bill Murray put that gentleman back in his place.
I am not about to criticise any mountain rescue team and, as I used to be a volunteer with a Scottish team many years ago, neither do I feel the need to praise them. It appears that the current fashion is, for whatever reason, at every opportunity to praise teams.
JW
16 January 2015I would say that giving up your time for others and occasionally putting your life at risk to rescue those who get into trouble is more than enough reason for praise. I for one am grateful for what the teams do.
TheEdgeOL17
17 January 2015Once more the oustandingly stupid are saved by the heroic efforts of unpaid volunteers. Unfortunately there seems now to be an almost universal acceptence by the casual curious walker that rescue is
a) A right to which you are entitled
b) A substitute for your own lack of brains / intelligence / equipment / experience etc
c) Always going to save you
The more that people get away with this kind of thing the more idocy it encourages.
Ian512
17 January 2015Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team, recent comment:
'We attend every rescue voluntarily, we fully accept and enjoy the risks involved and recognise that people make mistakes.
Margaret
17 January 2015Rescue teams are not now in the old business of assisting fellow climbers who on occasion get into difficulty.
Now they are having to pick up all the varied problems created by the vigorous commercialisation that drives the outdoor industry.
Margaret
18 January 2015A number of years ago teams, in the main, went out to help fellow climbers who occasionally had a problem on the hill.
That situation has changed drastically with the significant commercialisation and growth of the adventure industry.
Mike
18 January 2015Stuart - don't take such umbrage. I am not advocating controlling access to the mountains. I would be the first in the queue to rip down any such thing. Just thinking aloud. Is there SOMETHING we can do? Is there a solution that MIGHT and I say MIGHT deter the foolish and the unprepared? That's why I put 'close' in inverted commas. But perhaps I didnt express it as clearl as I might ahve done.
My only concern is for the lives of MRT members. Just something to say 'are you really, really sure you want to go up here in this weather?' We all know where the pinch points are where the avoidable tragedies are most likely to occur. Typically on tourist routes leading from car parks! Anything is worth considering that deters people like the young man in question should at least be considered.
I hate, absolutely hate, signage in the hills, even finger posts annoy me. But to me its no different to the warnings of rip tides on Cornish beaches, and we all saw this year what can happen there. For the experienced and the well prepared, like you and me, we know the risks and we go out at our own peril. We will take any such advice on its merits as we do when when we look at the WMIS and other resources, while accepting that forecasts can be wrong!
As Pete says - people like this dont go near the myriad of online and other resources available to tell them 'don't be such a prat' so perhaps they need to have it shoved in their faces at the point at which they are about to risk their own, and other peoples, lives.
Nice idea BNN - but I suspect he had never heard of Pete's Eats!
Absolutely not about control Margaret - just advice at the point at which it might have some impact on the foolish? If it were only their own lives then frankly its up to them. I am more than prepared to die in the mountains becaue I chose to be there. But I don't want anyone else to do so because of me.
Margaret
18 January 2015Mike, I remember a foul night in winter, under the cliffs of Ben Nevis, helping the search for a missing climber. Though tired and cold I didn't consider my life to be at risk.
See the post above by Ian512 about the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Teams recent comment.
Mike
18 January 2015Well Rob Johnson above said:
“Combine this with snow on the ground and the potential consequences for the volunteer team members of getting blown over were very high."
That sounds like he felt things were extremely dangerous. That was my thinking on it, Margaret. I admire them enormously for carrying on in the most testing of circumstances. And I also thank you for your wonderful past service to your community. We have had terrible disasters with RNIB in the past and I never, ever want to read of one with MR. So if there is something that can be done to stop the stupidly ill prepared person from venturing out in such conditions then it must be worth trying? Signs? Volunteers in the car park? I don't know, but worth an experiment perhaps?
Anyway, given today's massively tragic news from the Lake District, I wish us all safe adventuring in the next few weeks. I'm for the Howgills next weekend - a change of scene from my usual hunting grounds in the Lake District or Wales. And as ever, when I hand over a fiver for my first post-walk pint, the change always goes in the MR box on the bar. A little ritual of mine.
Beth
20 January 2015What on earth possessed the lad to even go up there?!!?!?! Beggars belief.
OutdoorsAndy
24 January 2015Perhaps he did have mental health problems?
Just a thought. I know the teams search from many people missing due to this reason.
Glad it all ended "happily".
More Outdoors on T.V! Educate and inspire. ;D
Ian512
24 January 2015Less promotion is needed.
We need to get our heads around the fact that this is 'not a sport'. When taking part in a sport you can call it a day when you like.
As Reinhold Messner recently said: "I go to the wild mountains where I am responsible for myself. Step by step I am making sure that I don't die. Climbing is an adventure, not a sport, all mountains are dangerous."
W H Murray also said, "...though mountaineering abounds in healthy adventure, it implies to a mountaineer much more than a sport."
Margaret
25 January 2015Less promotion may be better.
We need to get our heads around the fact that this is 'not a sport'. When taking part in a sport you can call it a day when you like.
Messner said: "I go to the wild mountains where I am responsible for myself. Step by step I am making sure that I don't die. Climbing is an adventure, not a sport, all mountains are dangerous."
Murray also said, "...though mountaineering abounds in healthy adventure, it implies to a mountaineer much more than a sport."
Margaret
27 January 2015Perhaps there should be less promotion of the activity!
We need to get our heads around the fact that this is not a sport. When taking part in a sport you can call it a day when you like.
I think it was R Messner who said, 'Climbing is not a sport, all mountains are dangerous . . . climbing is an undertaking involving danger and risk.'
OutdoorsAndy
30 January 2015Less promotion Margaret? There could hardly be less promotion already.
As a nation we are not encouraged to access our outdoor spaces in any way. The average person will not travel more than two miles from a car park because the skills they have are so poor, the understanding of the dangers are terrible, (in both senses, some believe navigation to be a dark art for eg), and the outdoor retail industry just want to sell false price-pointed tat that is simply not fit for purpose.
Educate and inspire!
He was walking too, not climbing, a very different undertaking.
We have an obesity and depression epidemic in the country, both of which would be alleviated by people accessing the outdoors.
The pay off for this would be better ultimately better protection of our wild spaces, (and access to them) and a healthier population.
Margaret
02 February 2015Promotion is everywhere Andy - Commercial, Ramblers, BMC, SMofS, Government quangos etc.
I used the word 'climbing' in a generic sense. If a person finds themselves in difficulty near the summit of Snowdon it makes little difference if they 'climbed' there or 'walked', as it's all Mountaineering.
I again say it is not a sport; it is not the same as a run around the park or going to the gym to lose some weight and get fit and your comment, "the understanding of the dangers are terrible" is correct.
Ian512
03 February 2015I rediscovered this quote from a magazine article of many years ago:-
"Whatever the handbooks recommend, or the educational vested interests claim, mountains remain deadly dangerous to all who frequent them."