Climbers Warned Of Icy Weather Risk After University Student Plunges To Death On Ben Nevis

John Stevenson, leader of Lochaber Mountain Rescue, said the group were climbing what is known as the ‘ledge route’, and said the rocks are currently very icy and cold and the area where the young woman slipped had an almost vertical drop of 500ft.

Inverness coastguard search and rescue helicopter airlifted the mountain rescue team to help the other climbers and recovered the woman’s body.

Lochaber Mountain Rescue said: “We witnessed another example of exceptional flying getting the team into location to evacuate the casualty and in recovering her colleagues from a very difficult location.”

People took to social media to pay tributes and express their condolences to the family of the victim, and to thank rescue teams for their dedicated work.

One woman revealed she believes she and her partner sat with the group a short time before the tragedy. She said: “We believe it was the four students my partner and I sat with in the shelter at the summit of the Ben sharing a hot chocolate together getting ready for their next leg of their adventure.

“My heart goes out to all involved and to the family of the young lady who has lost her life.

“Thank you mountain rescue for all you do.”

Another person wrote: “Awful. You go winter climbing on the first day of the year and it turns out to be the last day of your life.”

He added he had himself attempted to do the ledge route last year but decided to retreat when things got ‘scary’ – even though he had made an 800 mile round trip.

The young woman’s death is the second recent death on Britain’s highest peak.

Patrick Boothroyd, 21, from West Yorkshire, died while climbing Ben Nevis on December 16.

The Cardiff University student fell 1,500ft when a ledge of snow collapsed, but his friend Leo Grabowski miraculously survived. He battled to save his friend and covered him with a survival bag and huddled next to him shielding him from the snow and wind.

They were rescued after an hour but Boothroyd could not be saved.