Idwal Slabs, where the four students got lost. Photo: Jeremy Bolwell CC-BY-SA-2.0

A north Wales mountain rescue team had to contend with a mix of calls for help over the weekend, from brawling campers to lost climbers.

Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation was alerted at 9.15pm on Friday when four students from Warrington became lost while climbing on a popular Snowdonia crag.

After a five-hour rescue operation, the students were helped to safety and given food, drink, and words of advice.

Chris Lloyd of the team said: “One had climbed the route, Hope on the Idwal Slabs, before. The others were novices. The leader wore lightweight bendy boots and carried the only torch in the party. The other three wore trainers and one didn’t have any waterproofs.

“Setting off just after midday, the four all roped together, took longer to do the climb, in mixed weather, than planned, arriving at the Luncheon Stone at the top of the climb, in darkness.

“The leader was unable to find the difficult walk off and rightly decided to call for assistance by mobile phone. A small crag team – eight of us – was deployed to climb up the descent gully and then down the crag to the group.

“In darkness and heavy showers, the four were brought up the escape route and lowered down into the descent gully. After walking off the hill, they were brought by team Land Rover to Oggi Base by about 2am for hot showers, some dry clothing, bacon butties, soup hot tea – and some sound advice.”

Saturday also proved busy for the team, with their skills called into play to treat a camper who had had an altercation with another and needed medical attention.

Mr Lloyd said: “A camper from the site across the road from Oggi Base came to base to ask for first-aid assistance.

“Two campers who had been drinking had had an altercation. One had suffered substantial facial flesh wounds. Two team members went to patch this man up until the ambulance arrived.”

Earlier that day, the team had a more conventional mountain rescue when a woman suffered injuries after slipping on wet rocks. The 37-year-old from Newtown, Powys, was traversing the Carneddau with her 67-year-old father, also of Newtown, when she slipped on greasy rocks in low cloud on Carnedd Gwenllian (Carnedd Uchaf), north of Foel Grach.

The woman landed astride the rocks and suffered a possible chipped pelvis.

Mr Lloyd said: “She soldiered on to the refuge hut on Foel Grach. After a rest she then continued up the boulderfield onto the Carnedd Llewelyn summit. By now she was in great pain and took shelter in the shelter cairn.

“A passing family came upon them and was able to offer additional shelter and clothing as well as call 999. With the information of a possible broken pelvis, OVMRO immediately requested the assistance of RAF 22 Squadron [from Valley on Anglesey].

“Due to the low cloud, they were unable to get to the casualty but managed to ferry a number of hill troops and kit up the mountain. In the meantime, another group had met up with the casualty party. This group was escorted off the mountain by some team members whilst the casualty was treated and loaded onto the stretcher.

“She was carried a short distance down the South Ridge to below the cloud level. The Sea King of 22 Squadron was able to creep up the mountain and quickly winch her aboard.

“During this operation, the team was alerted to a group of three missing in Cwm Idwal. One half of the group of six came across a lone walker to ask if he had seen the three.

“He had not so called for mountain rescue. In the meantime, he saw a group and made his way up to them. He then re-united the group of six and the team did not deploy troops.”

After patching up the battered camper, the team received a call regarding an experienced paddler who, whilst paddling the Conwy River between Conwy Falls and the confluence with the Lledr river had dislocated a shoulder.

“The fire and rescue water rescue team from Bangor was called along with OVMRO,” Mr Lloyd said. “The paddler was rescued by two local paddlers and I believe that neither of the emergency services was used.”

He added: “So Saturday ended by about 9pm. Sunday was quiet!”

The Ogwen Valley team is mourning the loss of Ken Dwyer, of Capel Curig, who had been a member since about 1966. He died after a short illness.

Mr Lloyd said after the Friday rescue: “We missed his contribution to the team. He would have driven the team Land Rover, made the hot food, help offload the wet kit and hung it up to dry, garaged the vehicles and locked up Oggi Base.”

Mr Dwyer leaves a widow Anne and two sons.