The women had completed a climb in Coire an t-Sneachda. Photo: Iain Lees CC-BY-SA-2.0

Two climbers were brought to safety after being caught out in extreme weather in the Cairngorms.

Rescuers said the fact two women were well equipped and made the right decisions helped avert a more serious outcome.

The female students from Liverpool got into difficulties after completing a climb in Coire an t-Sneachda on Cairn Gorm on Wednesday evening.

They called for help about 6pm, prompting a full callout of 30 members of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team.

A team spokesperson said: “Two climbers encountered vicious winds on the plateau resulting in abseiling back down their route and being unable to extract themselves.”

The Inverness Coastguard helicopter was prevented from flying to the scene because of the extreme conditions.

The team spokesperson said: “The weather was too wild and cloud too low for the helicopter to assist. The team carried out line searches and using Sarloc located the casualties who were able to walk themselves off the hill.

“Being well equipped with a group shelter and spare clothes, and making good decisions contributed to a good outcome for the climbers.”