University climber dies after falling 1,600ft on Ben Nevis while his friend survives

ben nevis
The men fell on the north face of Ben Nevis Credit: Robert Harding World Imagery/Getty

A climber has died after falling more than 1,600ft on Britain’s highest mountain, while his companion survived the same incident.

The pair, from Cardiff University Mountaineering Club, were near the top of the popular Tower Gully route on Ben Nevis when an overhanging ledge of snow collapsed on them.

The 21-year-old man who died suffered a head injury as the snow carried them down the mountain but his colleague escaped with relatively minor injuries.

Donald Paterson, deputy leader of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team, said: "The cornice snow was soft and had no real purchase so it started moving. It just collapsed on them as they came through the cornice.

“The snow was not enough to bury them but large enough to carry them down the mountain.

"They must have fallen 500 metres (1,640ft) and one walks away with a few cracked ribs, and the other sadly loses his life.

"They were both sat in the snow when we found them. The one chap had suffered a very serious head injury. His climbing partner had raised the alarm by mobile phone.”

Around 30 members of the team were involved in the rescue operation on Sunday afternoon. The climbers were airlifted by a Coastguard helicopter to Belford Hospital in Fort William. Police said the man who survived, who is also in his 20s, had "non-life threatening injuries.”

Rescuers attempted to resuscitate the climber who died at the scene. Mr Paterson said: “Sadly he could not be saved. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family and friends over this tragic loss of a young life."

The incident was the third mountain death in the Highlands in the past four weeks. Last month Rebekah Pettifer, 52, from Northamptonshire, died in the Glencoe hills while trying to get help for her 23-year-old daughter, who was seriously injured.