A search operation is being scaled back for a missing climber who it is believed has fallen 1,600ft off the UK’s highest mountain.
Searches continued over the weekend for the man – one of a group of three – who was seen to go over the edge near the summit of Ben Nevis last Sunday.
John Stevenson, Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team leader, said the climber had probably fallen through a collapsing cornice – an overhanging snow build up – and plunged into Observatory Gully.
Mr Stevenson added that the area has been prone to several cornice collapses and avalanches in the past week.
He confirmed there have been up to 20 team members searching most days, but they will now be scaling back the operation.
He added: “Until we start getting a big thaw, we will put the occasional couple of guys up to check. If we get a change in the weather, then more members will go up.
“We’ve probably put between 500 and 600 man hours into the search.”
Mr Stevenson pointed out it took around two months to find the bodies of Rachel Slater, 24, and Tim Newton, 27, who were buried in a massive avalanche coming out of Observatory Gully on Valentines Day two years ago.
He added: “Because they were covered by so much snow, we could not find them until conditions had thawed enough.
“They were under a lot of snow. We – and others – must have walked past them so many times.
“This could be a similar situation, sadly.”
The Scottish Avalanche Information Service has now logged 59 snow slides on Scotland’s mountains – nearly two thirds of last winter’s entire total.
