The rottweiler was cajoled up the mountainside. Photo: Chris Lloyd/OVMRO

An eight-stone rottweiler had to be rescued from a Snowdonia crag after getting stuck with its owner.

And a smaller wire-haired terrier and its master also had to be helped from the cliff in an eight-hour operation involving two rescue teams.

Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation was called out about 5.30pm on Tuesday after a report that two walkers and two small dogs were cragfast somewhere between Bristly Ridge and Y Gribin in the Glyderau range.

Chris Lloyd of the rescue team said members used the Sarloc smartphone system to pinpoint their location on the main cliff of Glyder Fach.

“Keen-eyed team members spotted them in the Main Gully as they circumnavigated Llyn Bochlwyd,” Mr Lloyd said. “Setting up safety lines as they traversed into the gully – about 75ft above its base – and they climbed about 150ft up the gully.

“Here, on a small ledge they found the two men from Liverpool with their two dogs. One small dog was a wire-haired terrier, but the other was a three-year-old rottweiler bitch weighing 55kg.

“She was the most traumatised of the casualty party. The option of lowering her was soon discounted, so the only way was up from whence they had come.”

The six Ogwen Valley volunteers were then joined by 10 members of the RAF Valley Mountain Rescue Team at the scene.

Mr Lloyd said: “Two of them climbed up to the casualty party and beyond to set up belays for the two men, who were in their mid- to late-50s.

“Once the men were being roped up this steep and very loose gully, other team members patiently persuaded the dogs to follow. Both dogs were keen to stay with their masters but a combination of leads, ropes, nervous and tired hillwalkers, excited dogs and loose steep ground, meant that we had to try to restrain the dogs to a safe distance. My right hand was only encased by rottweiler teeth once.

Rescuers reach the stranded walkers and dogs. Photo: Chris Lloyd/OVMRO

“After sunset, but still in good light, the rescue party topped out on Glyder Fach and headed for the Miners Path for a descent via Cwm Tryfan.

“Water on these rocky tops was absent and it was only on the descent towards Llyn Caseg-fraith that a small spring was found to satisfy the dogs’ thirsts.”

He said the exhausted state of the two men after a long day on the hills meant a slow descent into Cwm Tryfan and then into the valley, and they arrived at the rescue base at 1.30am today.

“At Oggie base, after hot tea and pizza, the two were made aware of the error of their ways and then they were driven back to their car at Ogwen Cottage,” Mr Lloyd said.

In the early hours of Sunday, the Ogwen team was called out to help a walker who had broken her arm after tripping on Carnedd Llewelyn while on a solstice walk.

The 66-year-old woman was with her husband and a dozen other members of a local hillwalking group making the journey from Abergwyngregyn to the Ogwen Valley.

Mr Lloyd said: “The well organised, well equipped and experienced group had just topped out on Llewelyn and her husband had just recorded the event with a photograph. And then she just simply tripped on the uneven surface, putting her arm out to save herself.

“OVMRO was alerted soon after, but the casualty was determined to make a very good effort to get off the mountain without fuss.

“As the mountain rescue team was mobilised and making their way up from the Ogwen Valley, she made her way down to Bwlch Eryl Farchog, between Cwm Eigiau and Ffynnon Llugwy.

“The weather conditions were ideal for assistance from RAF 22 Squadron, who arrived shortly after the OVMRO team members. After she had received treatment, she was winched aboard in a stretcher and flown to Ysbyty Gwynedd.

“Her husband descended with team members to Oggi Base and was then driven to his car in Capel Curig.”

Some team members then joined their trainee colleagues on an exercise polishing skills on Tryfan, and then a local knowledge training session the following day in Afon Ddu gorge at Dolgarrog in the Conwy Valley.