A mountain rescue team leader yesterday hit out as it emerged that a man who fell to his death from a mountain as Storm Dennis raged was on a training course at the time.
The 42-year-old plunged nearly 100ft from the path of 3278ft Stob Ban on the south side of Glen Nevis in Lochaber on Sunday afternoon.
The unnamed man was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was recovered by the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team.
Donald Paterson, deputy leader of Lochaber MRT, said the man was with a companion and guide and they had paid to take part in a winter hills training course.
He said: “I don’t think their objective was to reach the summit. They were halfway up the hill. But the conditions were horrific – horrendous.
“The winds were gusting over 50mph. I was knocked over twice. Some of my team were also knocked over too. There was snow, hail, wind and rain at lower levels. It was awful.
“It is questionable that they (the guided party) should have been out in that weather but it is their decision to make over the conditions.
“I don’t think the guy who died was experienced. There were three groups on the hill doing winter training. This particularly group was two inexperienced people with the guide.
“The man was either blown over or fell 20 to 30 metres (66ft to 98ft) into a small gorge about halfway up the hill.
“It took us an hour to get him out of there and then another three hours to take him down by stretcher. It was horrendous.
“There was also thunder and lightning about. We had 19 team members on the hill. They did a brilliant job.”
It was the third rescue in a week for the team.
Last Monday, four walkers were rescued from Ben Nevis in a -20C blizzard – three of them wearing trainers.
Three days later, two climbers were rescued off the mountain after being trapped on the north face.
