The man fell from Drochaid Ghlas. Photo: Simon Gwyn Roberts CC-BY-SA-2.0

A man was rescued after hanging upside down by his ankle for hours from a cliff on a Highland peak.

Oban Mountain Rescue Team was called out on Monday night after an emergency call from the man’s partner on Drochaid Ghlas, a subsidiary summit of Ben Cruachan.

The walker’s fall from the mountain was arrested when his foot jammed, leaving him suspended over a large drop.

An Oban MRT spokesperson said: “The casualty had slipped from close to the Drochaid Ghlas summit into the north-eastern corrie.

“The casualty’s foot somehow got wedged stopping a further fall. Although the casualty’s partner had quickly alerted the police, the casualty was left hanging upside down from a broken foot unable to right themselves or secure themselves to the icy cliff above a stomach-churning drop for several hours until we could reach them. A harrowing predicament!

“Needless to say we are pretty impressed with their toughness to hang in there.”

The Prestwick Coastguard helicopter flew to the area but was unable to winch the injured man from the cliff.

The Oban team spokesperson said: “Low cloud and poor weather meant a helicopter ride at this point was impossible, so the casualty’s ordeal continued for another couple of hours while he was hauled back up to the ridge before a 1.5km stretcher ride and 600m bumpy descent back to the vehicles.

“Now below the cloud as the weather improved R999 [the Coastguard aircraft] could rapidly transfer the casualty to hospital.

“All at Oban MRT wish the casualty a very speedy recovery. Thanks to R999 for their efforts to get to the casualty in poor weather and Strathclyde Police MRT for standing by. Also to our employers who after only 3½ hours sleep have to put up with us being more rubbish than usual.”