Four rescue teams in hunt for walker
‘Horrendous’conditions
A hill walker was forced the spend the night on a mountainside near Crianlarich after getting lost in poor weather conditions.
The 46-year-old was walking on Beinn Challuim and reported missing on Sunday.
The woman, an experienced walker, was last seen around the mid-afternoon near the summit. She then became separated from a fellow walker.
Beinn Challuim stands in the Forest of Mamlorn, an ancient deer forest in Breadalbane, and measures a height of 3363 feet.
The walker raised the alarm with the police who then drafted in the help of around 40 volunteers from Killin, Ochil, Lomond and Oban mountain rescue teams.
Fortunately the walker, from Polmont, was well-equipped with suitable clothing, a head torch, drinks and food.
She had become disorientated as the weather turned quickly with a mist descending and daylight fading.
She opted to seek shelter on the hillside, rather than attempt to make her own way down.
Rescue crews searched the hillside from 6pm until the early hours, when the search had to been suspended due to poor visibility and weather conditions.
It recommenced on Monday, from 7am until around 6pm.
However, the woman made her own way off the climb on Monday when conditions approved. She made her way towards a farmhouse where the farmer picked her up in his vehicle and drove her to Tyndrum police office.
Bill Rose, of Killin Mountain Rescue Team, said: “She actually did the right thing; she found shelter and waited it out. The conditions were horrendous and there are a lot of sheer drops on the hillside. Had she tried to make her way down in those conditions she could have been badly hurt.
“What I would say is if you are going out walking with a partner, make sure that both of you have a compass and a map in the off chance that you become separated.
“It just goes to show that even experienced walkers can get in to trouble on hillsides.”