Climber left to dry off after calling for rescue – because he was wet

Teams criticise man and issue fresh warning about wearing proper clothing

A walker who scaled the UK’s highest mountain without waterproofs has been blasted by lifesavers after he wanted to be rescued because he was simply “wet.”

However, furious rescuers left him to dry out and spend the night on Ben Nevis alone.

The man reached the 4,411ft summit on Wednesday but got hit by a downpour. He then called police for help saying he was “soaked.”

Officers in turn contacted Lochaber Mountain Rescue (MRT).

“Anybody who goes up Ben Nevis without any type of cover is asking for trouble,” said team leader John Stevenson. “This chap appears not to have had adequate waterproofs, if any.

“It can rain and even snow on the Ben at any time of year – it is Scotland after all. In fact, it was snowing on the mountain last night. Only one in 10 days do not have cloud on the Ben.

“The police called us for advice about the guy saying he was wet and at the top. We are not here to go up and walk down somebody who is OK but just wet.

“I said ‘if he’s wet, he’s wet.’ He can come off himself. We are all volunteers not full time professionals.

“The weather on the Ben is cold – it can be freezing any time of the year. You have to have proper gear. The weather on the Ben can change very quickly – you have to be prepared and this chap wasn’t.

“There wasn’t anything wrong with him – he wasn’t injured. He was just wet. We can’t attend incidents like this – or people running out of batteries for their torches, which we have also had calls about before.”

A spokesman for Police Scotland confirmed they had received a call from a solo walker at 9.33pm on Wednesday.

“He said he was soaked through and was at the summit. The mountain rescue team were informed but did not attend. He spent the night in the summit shelter and walked himself off the following morning.”

Lochaber MRT has had many calls from ill-prepared walkers in the past.

Recently a man wearing just work boots was found slipping and sliding on Ben Nevis.

Mr Stevenson gave him “a piece of my mind.”

“He was totally ill-equipped for the conditions. I spoke to him on the phone as well as the two guys who came across him slipping and sliding down the mountain,” he said.

“His fingernails must have been damaged because he was hanging on at one point to stop him sliding away. He had no crampons, no ice axe.

“He had a jacket and gloves but not much else. You are asking for trouble. He had been incredibly stupid.”

A walker also plunged 1,600ft to his death on Ben Nevis on January 21. The body of Marcin Bialas, 36, was reported missing in an area close to Observatory Gully and Gardyloo Gully, but helicopter and foot searches have so far found no trace of him.

There wasn’t anything wrong with him – he wasn’t injured. He was just wet. We can’t attend incidents like this. JOHN STEVENSON, LOCHABER MOUNTAIN RESCUE

Picture: Getty Images. A man climbing Ben Nevis, pictured, called for rescue on Wednesday night because he was “soaked”, but was rebuffed by mountain rescuers.