In the news

Shortly before 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday 19th March,  call-handlers from Aberdyfi Search & Rescue Team were made aware of a crag-fast walker on Cader Idris.

The 54 year-old man was part of a party of 4 who had walked up the Pony Path and lunched at the summit. The group decided to descend by a different route and opted for the Foxes Path, a steep and loose scree.

The casualty  had started getting cramp in his thighs on the way up the mountain. On the descent, he started to lag behind the other three, drifted into the gully rather than staying on the ridge, and a combination of  fatigue and severe cramp caused him to stop. The others in his party had continued down off the mountain.

Given the man’s location, the rescue party could have opted to continue down the rough scree of the foxes path or return to the top and pick up a better path. However, the casualty was clear that he did not want to continue down on this route, and so after providing food, water and extra clothing the man was assisted upwards to the summit plateau. Progress was much better once on the flatter ground of the plateau, and the casualty party met up with the main stretcher party just beyond the summit hut. By this point was in better spirits, and with more food inside him, progress remained reasonable, and the stretcher was not required to complete the descent.Team Volunteer Graham O’Hanlon attended the rescue. “The man had hit a perfect storm of weak and cramping legs on steep and loose ground. He wisely recognised his predicament,called for assistance, and ultimately was able to get himself off the mountain with only a little assistance.”

Everyone was safely down off the mountain by 11:00 p.m.