Climbing brothers killed on Snowdon

Two brothers were killed when they fell while climbing Mount Snowdon in freezing weather conditions, police said today.

The pair, believed to be in their 30s, fell as far as 300m from a climbing blackspot on the mountain's west side at Clogwyn Coch.

Related articles

• Thousands stranded as snow blows in
• Mayor defends suspension of London buses
• Snow set to bring more flight cancellations
• 1,000 homes and businesses cut off from gas supply
• The Ten Best Ski Essentials
• Groundhog Day shadow means winter to continue
• Mayor suspends congestion charge
• And the lesson for tomorrow: more sledging
• Blizzard blows in as Britain shivers
• Parched: Australia faces collapse as climate change kicks in
• Search the news archive for more stories

It was not known how long the brothers lay dead before being found nor if the snow fall overnight caused the accident.

The men - whose names have not been released - were found this morning by a crew involving two mountain rescue teams and the RAF.

Their families reported them missing last night at 9pm when they failed to return home to Bristol.

Volunteers from the Llanberis and Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue teams this morning joined forces with North Wales Police and the RAF Squadron 22 to mount a search operation.

It was thought the pair were crossing the treacherous stretch without ice axes or climbing crampons as the weather changed for the worse.

Ian Henderson, secretary of Llanberis Mountain Rescue team, said: "This morning and overnight we have had strong winds from the east and a substantial snowfall so in the early part of the operation visibility was very poor.

"About 10.30am today the weather cleared and enabled an RAF helicopter to come and lift the bodies off.

"The men went on the hill on Saturday and camped overnight but we don't know where.

"Presumably they've gone to Snowdon on Sunday. We have no definite information about what happened.

"But they have fallen in what is considered to be a known accident black spot because of the snow and ice forming across the slope.

"Anyone who hasn't got ice axes or isn't wearing crampons is at a great risk.

"Strong winds gather speed and around that part there's a substantial craggy area.

"This is a great tragedy and our condolences go to the family.

"At the moment there is snow and ice on the ground, it's clear and quite bright but more snow is forecast.

"I would strongly recommend that people without a lot of experience and the right equipment don't venture on to the mountain.

"If people are at all unsure they should stay away. More heavy snow is forecast on the mountain."

He added there was a risk of avalanche on the mountain's west side because of a vicious easterly wind.

It is not known if the men planned to leave Snowdon before the snow fell.

Forecaster Nikki Berry of Meteogroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said predictions of heavy snow were made for last night and this morning.

But during the day on Saturday and Sunday only flurries of snow were expected.

She said: "The snow might not have been a big factor but the temperatures were low.

"The forecast was not that bad for that part of north Wales.

"But if you are on Snowdon in a snow storm it can be very disorientating and the visibility can drop to nothing."

North Wales Police said they were still awaiting formal identification of the brothers before releasing their names.

Tonight, two Cheshire men, aged 20, were rescued from Crib Goch on Snowdon, by being airlifted to safety.