Edale team members stretcher the walker from Stanage Edge. Photo: Edale MRT

A climber had to be rescued after she was left hanging upside down in her harness on a Peak District crag when she was taken ill.

The woman was belaying at the time and was helped by fellow climbers at the popular Stanage Edge site near Hathersage.

Edale Mountain Rescue Team was called out to the incident on Saturday and was initially told a climber was cragfast at the scene.

Ed Proudfoot of the team said: “A woman had been taken ill while belaying her partner and had somehow, though an unusual set of circumstances, left the ground, and was hanging upside down from her harness some way up the crag.

The walker is stretchered down Grindsbrook. Photo: Edale MRT

“Nearby climbers were alerted to her plight and quickly came to her aid, securing her upright on a ledge in a chest harness before lowering her to the ground.

“The initial call came though as a cragfast climber prompting the team to consider full rope rescue kit along with our medical equipment. Our team doctor was very quickly on scene to assess the nature of her illness and injuries before the team swiftly acted to remove her from the crag and into a waiting ambulance.”

The rescue wrapped up a busy day for the rescue team, which dealt with three separate back-to-back incidents.

Mr Proudfoot said: “The good weather on Saturday meant the peaks were full of people enjoying the outdoors.

“Just after lunchtime the team was called to Edale where a lady had injured her knee and needed assistance on the rough ground in Grindsbrook. The first team members to arrive found the woman just above Halfway rocks.

“In the first instance they strapped the leg until further members arrived with our stretcher. Fortunately no other treatment was required other than a long carry-off back to Edale in the afternoon sunshine.”

As the team finished packing away after the callout, it was alerted to a climber who had fallen at Burbage North.

The Burbage North climber is stretchered from the crag after his fall. Photo: Edale MRT

Mr Proudfoot said: “A man from Sheffield had taken advantage of the evening sunshine to cycle up to Burbage and do some solo climbing.

“Unfortunately he suffered a short fall which resulted in an ankle fracture in one leg and multiple fractures in his other foot.

“A team doctor was quickly on scene to administer intravenous analgesia for the pain. Further team members arrived to transport the man via our stretcher to the waiting ambulance.”

The rescues took the Edale team’s incident tally this year to 81, making it one of the busiest volunteer mountain rescue teams in the UK.