John Muir Trust volunteers on the summit of Ben Nevis during the clean-up

Abandoned clothes were among items found on Ben Nevis recently – despite the mountain’s summit being covered in more than a metre of snow.

The discarded garments were just some of the six bags-worth of rubbish cleared by volunteers from the John Muir Trust who climbed Britain’s highest peak to collect detritus left by the mountain’s thousands of visitors.

The usual mix of old banana skins and plastic bottles filled most of the bags, a further five of which were filled on the descent. The summit shelter alone contained enough rubbish – including the discarded clothes and half-eaten food – to fill two bags.

Conservation charity the John Muir Trust owns most of Ben Nevis, and the clean-up was the first of the year.

Weather on the summit was described as ‘mixed’ but the eight volunteers were undeterred. Some walkers making their way to the 1,344m (4,409ft) mountain-top also offered to help in the clear-up.