Climber falls 150ft to his death on Ben Nevis after slip on ridge

A CLIMBER plunged 150ft to his death on Ben Nevis as his helpless companion looked on.

The man, who has not yet been named, had just started his ascent on Saturday when he lost his footing around half way up Tower Ridge, one of several ridges protruding north east from the mountain’s summit.

Despite good conditions, it is thought he slipped as he tackled a steep element of the climb. He sustained fatal injuries in the fall and died at the scene.

A Coastguard helicopter later managed to remove his body from what was described as a difficult location.

John Stevenson, leader of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team, said the climber, who was aged around 50, had fallen over 150ft to his death.

“He had just started his ascent about of a quarter of the way up Tower Ridge – it was a classic day to climb the ridge,” he said.

“We are not entirely sure what happened, but it looks like he’s had a wee slip and fell 40 to 50 metres. He was with a climbing partner.”

Conditions at the time were good, he added. “There was a little bit of moisture about, which would have made the rocks a bit slippery, but nothing any experienced climber could not handle.

“He was at the bottom end of the Douglas Boulder which is a steep climb and a bit narrow. He had a big fall and the doctor pronounced him dead as soon as he was seen. Climbing has its risks and this climb has had a tragic end sadly. Our thoughts are with his family.”

Tower Ridge starts near to the Charles Inglis Clark hut below Coire Leis and terminates close to the highest point of the mountain. The normal route up Tower Ridge is a graded 3S as a scramble – the highest scrambling grade – and contains short pitches of rock climbing graded as difficult.

The Douglas Boulder, where the man was climbing at the time, is a distinct feature of Tower Ridge. It is a 656-feet high semi-cone separated from the ridge by gullies on the east and west sides. It is said to offer the most challenging climb on the ridge and is often avoided by some who prefer the less challenging East Gully.

The Coastguard rescue helicopter from Inverness was diverted from training to tackle a two-hour recovery operation.

Other climbers are said to have stopped their climb to support the man’s companion, helping him down the mountain.

The incident came after a series of incidents on the mountain.

On Thursday Lochaber Mountain Rescue members helped three climbers who became stuck in poor weather on the Long Climb on the Orion Face of the mountain.

A team spokesman said at the time: “This was a difficult technical rescue as the Long Climb is the longest in the UK and it is Alpine in scale.

“The climbers were located about 200 metres below the top of the route.”

On Tuesday two climbers were rescued within hours of each other. One was rescued 40ft from the summit at Little Tower after getting into difficulties, while a woman was airlifted to hospital after falling at Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe, also known as Half Way Lochan and sustaining head injuries.

Twenty people have died in the Scottish mountains in the past year, according to Mountaineering Scotland. Three were on Ben Nevis, including the deaths of Rachel Slater and Tim Newton, killed by an avalanche on the mountain on a Valentine’s Day climb in February 2016.

Last month 72-year-old Anthony Parmenter, of Standlake, Oxon, died after suffering a heart attack as he climbed Ben Nevis as part of a Three Peaks Challenge.

Around 100,000 people scale Ben Nevis every year. Mr Stevenson added that Ben Nevis “is incredibly busy at the moment – it is heaving with walkers – and we would advise people to be prepared and take care.”