Llyn Idwal with Y Gribin to the right, and the Devil's Kitchen in the foreground. Photo: Stray Croc

Two climbers who had to be winched from a north Wales ridge were among seven people who kept rescuers busy in the Ogwen Valley, days after the launch of a safety campaign.

The climbers were caught out as darkness fell on Y Gribin on the Glyderau, and called out rescuers. A helicopter from RAF Valley made repeated attempts to reach the men, from London, as bad weather and poor visibility hampered the crew’s attempts to get near them.

The pair, in their 20s, called 999 about 8.10pm yesterday, Boxing Day, after completing a gully climb on Glyder Fawr and becoming disoriented. The Sea King helicopter finally managed to reach the men, in strong winds, heavy sleet and low cloud, as members of the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation approached on foot. The two were flown back to the mountain rescue team’s base.

Earlier in the day, a man was rescued from the nearby Devil’s Kitchen after becoming benighted. The team was alerted about 6pm after the Cambridgeshire walker, who had no torch, was unable to find his way. He had set off from Nant Peris about 11.30am and walked over Elidir Fawr, Mynydd Perfedd, Carnedd y Ffiliast, Foel Goch and Y Garn. He made a navigational error in the Llyn y Cwn area and ended up at the top of the Twll Du.

Members of the Ogwen Valley team were joined by colleagues from Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team and he was eventually found by the Sea King from 22 Squadron at RAF Valley, which flew him back to his starting point at Nant Peris.

Four hours earlier, the Ogwen team was called to aid a woman and her daughter from Oxfordshire who got into difficulties after attempting to reach the summit ridge on to Carnedd Dafydd from the Cwm Pen-llafar. They were unable to continue on a steep snow-covered slope; they had neither crampons nor ice-axes. The RAF Valley Sea King managed to winch the two on board and fly them to the Ogwen Valley MR) base.

And today, the Ogwen team was again called to the Devil’s Kitchen to rescue a man and his son from the Wirral, who became stranded in deep snow after straying from the path. Neither the man, in his 50s, nor his son, in his 20s, had ice-axes and crampons.

The MountainSafe campaign, which urges walkers and climbers to go properly equipped, was launched last Tuesday.