A Highland hillwalker has thanked rescuers for going above and beyond to help her after she was left injured and stranded on Ben Nevis
Natalie Phillips, a teacher at Wakefield Grammar School Foundation, was one of 20 people to scale the peak on Saturday in memory of a colleague’s husband.
The group had planned to complete the National Three Peaks challenge in 24 hours.
Ben Nevis hillwalker offered tent to keep warm
However, upon descending the 4,400ft mountain near Fort William, disaster struck.
The 38-year-old teacher suffered a fall, just 200 meters from the summit, leaving her in crippling pain with a dislocated shoulder.
Surrounded by fellow colleagues Kirsty Barley, Emma Critch and her partner Steve, the group found themselves at the centre of major rescue operation.
Speaking of the ordeal, Mrs Phillips said: “We made it to the top. I got my photo at the summit and then we started heading down.
“We were only about 200 meters from the top and I think what happened was my feet slid on some gravel and my walking pole got stuck on a stone and it just jarred my shoulder back so I dislocated it.
“It was really difficult because I knew there was absolutely no way that it was safe for me to try and walk with a dislocated shoulder on the rocky top.
“Obviously not having a timescale is quite difficult when you are in pain and it is getting dark. I fell around 8pm at night so we knew we didn’t have much light and the weather had just quickly changed as well, from being absolutely glorious to quite windy and cold.”
Lochaber Mountain Rescue team (MRT) began to scale Ben Nevis on foot as low clouds and poor visibility hampered assistance from the Inverness coastguard helicopter.
As the group of walkers battled to keep spirits high, the weather conditions deteriorated, leaving them exposed to the elements.
That was until a kind walker named Dan gave them his tent to help keep them warm.
Mrs Phillips added: “Dan was just climbing the mountain as well and he was really well equipped, whereas we definitely weren’t and he gave us his tent.
“He said ‘Here’s my tent, stay in that because with all of you in it, it will keep you warm and keep the wind off you.’ That really was helpful.”
‘I can’t actually put it into words how grateful we are’
Upon locating the stranded group, the MRT began escorting the group down the mountain.
However, Mrs Phillips said she was forced to stop midway down the peak.
As conditions began to improve around 5am, The Rescue 199 helicopter from Prestwick took advantage of a break in the cloud to assist the team on Ben Nevis.
Two days on from the ordeal, the educator thanked mountaineers, healthcare workers and kind strangers for their support.
She said: “I can’t actually put it into words how grateful my colleagues and I area. They are really grateful for the support they were given. Even though they weren’t injured, they had put themselves in a difficult situation to stay with me.
“Having that reassurance of being with people and other people on the telephone who you trust, was helpful.
“The mountain rescuers, the helicopter team, the hospital staff, the passersby who just stopped to make sure we were okay and asked if we needed anything; they were brilliant.
“With everything going on in the world it just lets you know that everybody is out for everybody really and there are lots of helpful kind people out there.”
Despite the ordeal, Mrs Phillips said the experience has not put her off.
“I’m really, really pleased that I got to the top of Be Nevis but I am absolutely gutted that I haven’t completed the challenge,” she added.
“It won’t stop me. I will continue and I will definitely be back to Scotland because it is beautiful.”
Big thanks to those offering support for rescue
Lochaber Mountain Rescue team have thanked fellow hillwalkers and coastguard teams for their support in bringing a successful end to the operation.
In a statement, posted on their social media page, the team wrote: “Once again we’d like to offer a big thanks to other hill goers who offered support before we arrived on scene, and to coastguard helicopter crews from Inverness and Prestwick.”