The Priest's Hole is located high on Dove Crag. Photo: Bob Smith Photography

A group of adventurous teenagers had to be rescued from a Lake District mountainside as Storm Dave lashed the fells.

The four young men intended to camp in the Priest’s Hole on Dove Crag, but failed to reach the cave.

Rescuers said the youngsters were lucky to escape without serious injury.

Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team was alerted by Cumbria police about 9.10pm on Saturday.

A team spokesperson said: “The duty leader put the team on standby and attempted to contact the group of males. After numerous attempts contact was eventually made.

“It was quickly established the group had failed to reach the Priest’s Hole and had succumbed to the wild and wet weather which storm Dave was throwing at them and were now cold, wet and fearing for their lives as they didn’t have a tent to protect them.

“A full callout was initiated and team members made their way to Patterdale base along the lake road where trees were blown over and lots of debris from the high winds was making driving conditions dangerous.”

The Patterdale team requested the help of colleagues from Penrith MRT because of the nature of the rescue and the location.

“On reaching the group, one of the casualties was suffering from mild hypothermia,” the spokesperson said. “He was treated at scene, given medication and warmed up before slowly walking off the hill to the team’s Land Rovers parked in the Hartsop valley bottom.

“Once back at Patterdale base they were given hot drinks and warm dry clothing. Suitable advice was given on how lucky they were to be rescued in the conditions without serious injuries received.

“The team would like to remind the public that the Priest’s Hole is hard to find in the dark and can have serious consequences if you fail to find the route up the rock face, especially in wet and wild conditions.

“Patterdale MRT would also like to remind everyone to check the weather forecasts for the area intended and avoid exposed location in predicted storms. Numerous teams were out during the storm for stricken wild campers, putting everyone’s lives in danger unnecessarily.”

The six-hour incident involved 12 Patterdale MRT volunteers 11 Penrith team members. The Patterdale spokesperson thanked colleagues from the neighbouring team for their help.

The Patterdale team has previously pointed out the Priest’s Hole has grown in popularity following the BBC’s Secret Britain programme in 2016.

“Since the programme was aired, Patterdale MRT members have responded to several serious incidents, including a fatal accident at the site,” it said. “The programme has definitely increased the number of people attempting to spend the night there.”

Keswick MRT, meanwhile, has pleaded with those online to share details of rescues to help educate less experienced hill-goers.

The team said: “We are seeing an increase in callouts for ‘bucket-list’ hikers and younger walkers who follow viral trends rather than mountain safety.

“If you’re an influencer or have a following, please share the lessons from our incident reports to your stories. We need to reach the people who don’t follow us yet.

“We love your support, but please keep the comments kind. We share the stories of rescues to educate and update, not to invite judgment on the casualties involved. Let’s keep this a space for learning so we can reach those who don’t yet know the risks.”