The trio was rescued from a route on the Idwal Slabs. Photo: Malcolm Neal CC-BY-SA-2.0

A group of hillwalkers was rescued after straying on to a climbing route on a Snowdonia mountain.

The three men called for help when they could move neither up nor down on steep ground on Glyder Fawr.

Rescuers said the group had a lucky escape.

Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation members were called out at 6.25pm on Friday and a rescue helicopter also flew to the scene.

A team spokesperson said: “Three walkers from London reported themselves stuck on a cliff on Glyder Fawr. They had climbed Tryfan in the morning before continuing over the Glyderau and, we think, trying to descend Seniors Ridge before becoming cragfast on the third or fourth pitch of Faith, a V-Diff climbing route.”

Team members assumed they were going to rescue a group of climbers on Idwal Slabs, as they did not believe walkers could reach the position without falling.

The spokesperson said: “A large team deployed into Cwm Idwal just as the HM Coastguard helicopter located the stuck group. Unfortunately they were unable to winch them as they believed their downwash would blow them from the cliff.

“The team climbed to the climbers’ descent of Idwal Slabs before pitching a fixed handrail almost 300m long to access a point above the casualties. A technical rope system was used to lower team members to the group and raise them all back up.

“By now extremely cold and wet, the casualties were placed in warm clothing, given torches, secured to the handrail and confidence-roped back up to an abseil point at the climbers descent.”

After reaching safer ground, rescuers and the walkers made their way down through swollen streams to arrive at Ogwen Cottage at 1.30am on Saturday.

Rescuers were greeted by the men’s families who had arrived with hot drinks and food for team members.