‘Stupid’ walker is rescued from Ben Nevis

A WALKER has been condemned as “incredibly stupid” by rescuers after he called for help trying to scale the UK’S highest mountain in thick snow and ice wearing work boots.

The man was found slipping and sliding on Ben Nevis by two other walkers.

The stranded man, who was on the main path, was airlifted off the 4,411ft high mountain by the Inverness-based Coastguard search and rescue helicopter – but not before John Stevenson, leader of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team, gave him “piece of my mind”.

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

“The mountain is full of snow and very icy – it is as hard as iron. Yet this chap attempted to climb it wearing work boots and insufficient other gear.

“He had a jacket and gloves but not much else. He was not injured, just stupid. I could not believe he was up there without proper kit. You only had to look at the mountain to see the risks.”

In summer 2014, rescuers on Ben Nevis’s sister peak, Aonach Mor, carried a man to safety when he slipped and hurt his ankle while wearing flip-flops. The walker’s companions, who said they came from Asia to Scotland to “see the snow”, were in bare feet and trainers. The men apologised.