Rescuers work to free the climber from the crack. Photo: Llanberis MRT

Rescuers used their tailoring skills and copious amounts of washing-up liquid to free a climber jammed in a crack on a Snowdonia rockface.

Ogwen Mountain Rescue Organisation and Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team went to the aid of the woman, in her early 50s, when she became stuck on the Gribin Facet.

The woman was on a Very Difficult-graded route on the slabs, between Cwm Bochlwyd and Cwm Idwal, on Monday. She was tackling the route with her husband but slipped as she was making her way up to him on the second pitch, and her foot and entire leg went into the fissure.

Chris Lloyd of the Ogwen Valley team said: “She is not the first to have come to grief in this crack.”

The initial call for help went to the Llanberis team who sent eight of its volunteers, as well as notifying their colleagues in the Ogwen Valley.

Mr Lloyd said: “In a joint effort using ropes and pulleys, team members’ best tailoring skills to cut away the trouser leg and washing up liquid for lubrication, the lady was eventually released.

“She was brought to an area below the crag from where she was collected by the Coastguard helicopter and delivered to hospital at Bangor.

“A most unfortunate incident but not unique.

“During the next few rain showers, bubbles will be seen rising from behind this flake of rock and flowing down the slab. Now that will take some explaining!”

On Saturday, the Ogwen Valley team carried out its 100th rescue of the year.

Three adults from Hertfordshire and a 13-year-old daughter of one of the walkers summited Tryfan via the North Ridge scrambling route as cloud covered the tops of the area’s peaks.

Mr Lloyd said: “They successfully topped out then sought descent via the South Ridge. This path is not easy to find in good visibility, let alone 10m of visibility. A bearing had been taken but Tryfan throws obstacles and hazards in the way of any bearing.

Soon the party found themselves on steep craggy ground near the Western Gully. Despite best efforts to retrace their steps, they could not escape the hazards. Rightly, they decided to call mountain rescue for assistance at about 5.30pm.

“Seven Ogwen MRT were deployed to search in the swirling mists until we had success with Sarloc. Team members homed in on the group and then carefully picked their way to safety.”

Sarloc is a system devised by former Ogwen Valley MRO member Russ Hore that enables rescuers to pinpoint a person’s location using a link sent to his or her smartphone.

The group was brought safely to the valley and taken to the team’s base about 10pm for tea and pizza.

On Friday, the rescue team was called out to help a walker who injured his ankle on the North Wales Path. The man and his wife, from north-east Wales, set out in the afternoon from near Conwy.

Mr Lloyd said: “He had decided to wear his trainers as they were more comfortable and she was in her boots. They had set off from Sychnant Pass between Conwy and Penmaenmawr. The path contours the high ground above Penmaenmawr.

“Just after lunch they were walking down a grassy slope when he slipped and suffered an ankle injury. The 999 call was made to the police but initially she did not know where they were.

“OVMRO members were called; some direct to Sychnant pass from work, others via Oggi Base in the Ogwen valley. Fortunately, as the team was gathering, two hillwalkers came across the injured party.

“Apart from being able to care for the casualty, they were able to give a better description of their location. In addition, the local farmer was out and about on his all-terrain vehicle.

“Once team members arrived on scene, casualty care was administered. The casualty was then loaded onto the all-terrain vehicle and taken to the roadhead. The casualty was then taken to hospital by his wife.

“A big thank you to all those who assisted the MRT.”