Glyder Fach, scene of one of the rescues. Photo: Mike White CC-BY-SA-2.0

A Snowdonia mountain rescue team was called out three times in less than four hours to help lost and missing people.

Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation members rescued four people on the Glyderau range and called in the help of a neighbouring team after walkers got lost in two separate incidents.

The team was first called out yesterday about 1.10pm to search for a missing local person whose car had been found on the main road through the Ogwen Valley, but within 35 minutes the team was stood down after police found the person.

Later that afternoon, the team was alerted after a couple called for help after getting into difficulties in poor visibility on Glyder Fach.

The pair, from Brighton, made an emergency call at about 4.15pm from Llyn Caseg-fraith on the plateau between Cwm Tryfan and the Pen y Gwryd Hotel. Although Snowdonia north of the Ogwen Valley was in bright sunshine, the Glyderau range was in low cloud.

Chris Lloyd of the Ogwen Valley team said: “While the 42-year-old male was happy to descend the path into the back of Cwm Tryfan, the 22-year-old female lacked confidence.

“Rather than risk injury, they decided to call for mountain rescue.

“Team members were able to make their way directly to the two casualties as they had been able to give an accurate location.

“After giving the two casualties some additional warm clothing and headtorches, they were escorted down the path into Cwm Tryfan and to Oggi Base for hot team and debrief by 9pm.”

While the rescue was in progress, another call for help came in from two women lost in cloud on Glyder Fawr.

The team spoke to one of the women to try to determine where they were and then made use of the Sarloc system which uses smartphones to pinpoint the caller’s position.

The Ogwen Valley team determined the pair were on the southern slopes of Glyder Fawr, so called the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team to help.

Team members made the ascent of the mountain from both Cwm Idwal in the North and Pen y Pass in the South, along with Llanberis team members.

Mr Lloyd said: “The two people were located at about 7.30pm and were walked down to Pen y Pass. Here, the Ogwen team Land Rover collected them and returned them to the Ogwen Valley at about 10pm.