More details emerged today about the two young men airlifted from Crib Goch at the weekend.

The RAF initially said they did not have any substantial mountain equipment with them. It turns out the pair, aged 19, from Dorset, were dressed in jeans and tee-shirts, with no waterproofs.

Dr Gwyn Roberts, chairman of the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team (MRT) said the men were lucky to escape unharmed. They had set out late and were ill equipped. The incident has echoes of an ill fated venture just over two weeks ago when two men from Wrexham had become lost on the ridge in similar circumstances.

Dr Roberts told the BBC: “They had started off late in the day and had decided – to lighten their load they told us – to leave most of their equipment, including their map, in the car.”

They had no emergency shelter, no whistle and no food. The only torches they had with them were two small Maglites.

Attempts to talk the two down got them only as far as Bwlch Coch, so the MRT asked for assistance from RAF Valley and the stranded would-be mountain conquerors were winched to safety. In the meantime, 16 members of the rescue team were mobilised in case they needed to bring the men down on foot.

The men had researched the route on the Internet, but this is not enough, said Dr Roberts. Walkers should carry a map and compass when venturing on to the mountains.

“People should use their common sense and not take on too much, which had clearly happened in this case,” he said.