Adam Potter, recuperating in hospital. Photo: PA

A mountain walker who survived a huge fall from a peak in the western Highlands said he would be back on the hills as soon as he was fit.

Adam Potter, a 36-year-old enthusiastic walker and climber, fell 300m (1,000ft) from near the summit of Sgurr Choinnich Mòr in the Grey Corries on Saturday.

Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team and a Royal Navy Sea King crew from HMS Gannet feared the worst after being told the man had fallen such a distance. But when the helicopter arrived, its observer Lieutenant Tim Barker saw Mr Potter standing at the base of the mountain’s eastern crags, reading his map.

It was only when the crew traced a route back up the mountain and spotted bits of his gear spread out above him that they realised they had found their casualty.

Mr Potter suffered mild concussion during his epic fall and regained consciousness wondering how he had come to be at the base of the cliffs – and started consulting his map.

Astonishingly, he suffered minor breaks to three of his vertebrae, though without damage to the spinal chord, and is able to walk about with ease; abdominal injuries and abrasions to his face.

He said he was due to go out on the hills again next week but may put it off for a few weeks until he feels fitter.

He told how his fall started with a small slip before he slid over the edge of the near-vertical drop on the eastern side of the 1,094m (3,598ft) mountain.

He described how he desperately tried to lose speed as he tumbled over a succession of crags, alternatively hitting the ground and freefalling.

He told the BBC: “I wasn’t thinking about any life experiences or anything like this – there was no life flashing in front of my eyes. I just needed to slow myself down.

“Towards the end, there was this section where I had almost lost all my speed, which was great, but it also meant I could actually see the next cliff I was about to go over. And when I did go over that, I was a bit fearful for my life.”

Mr Potter, who had been standing next to his 30-year-old girlfriend Kate Berry and his dog when he slipped, was airlifted to the Southern General Hospital. He had fallen over three 30m (100ft) sheer drops during his unplanned rapid descent from the peak.

He has been recovering in hospital since and is expected to be discharged on Monday. As well as cuts and bruises, he has broken his back in three places, though without damage to the spinal chord, and is able to walk about with ease.

Adam thanked the HMS Gannet crew for their swift actions and initial medical attention, as well as the rapid transfer into the hands of the medical teams at Glasgow’s Southern General Hospital.

Among future plans for the outdoor enthusiast, who formerly lived in Sheffield, is an Everest trek.