Mountain rescuers braved horrendous conditions when an injured man had to be stretchered during an avalanche in a Scottish national park.
The Cairngorms Mountain Rescue Team (CMRT) shared a video to its social media after they were called out following reports of two people falling in an avalanche.
The avalanche occurred at Coire an t-Sneachda in the Grampian Mountains, a popular climbing area south-east of Aviemore, in the early afternoon on Saturday, December 4.
It trapped two climbers, a man and a woman, and the male climber sustained a ‘lower leg injury’.
CMRT said that the two “were able to self rescue down to the coire floor, where they were met by team members and stretchered back to the Cairngorm ski area”.
The video, posted on CMRT’s Twitter, shows a team of rescuers stretchering the man through the darkness and blistering snow to safety.
The mountain rescue team said on Saturday that there were ‘multiple reports of avalanches in the Coire an t-Sneachda’ on Saturday afternoon.
CMRT call out for a male with a lower leg injury sustained during an avalanche. The climbers were able to self rescue down to the coire floor, they were met by the team and stretchered back to the ski area. Multiple reports of avalanches in Coire an t-Sneachda this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/AhCfd3G7nM
— Cairngorm MRT (@cairngorm_mrt) December 4, 2021
A spokesperson for the CMRT said they know of “at least six or seven other parties that were avalanched in that same area”.
“It was a period of really high avalanche activity for this early in the season,” they said.
Team leader Iain Cornfoot said: “It was hard work with the poor visibility and trying to route-find in the deep snow.
“Conditions were difficult to be able to evacuate someone in a stretcher, but it went well, people’s work ethic kicks in when we have difficult conditions like that.
“People are really eager because it’s early season so everyone wants to get out climbing. The conditions changed from what was forecast and people have to be mindful of what’s in front of them as well.
“The guys we spoke to said they saw red flags but kept going. It’s difficult because those conditions are always changing and avalanches are difficult to predict.
“You have to be ready to change your plans if what you’re seeing doesn’t match the forecast.
“Trust your instincts and don’t push a bad situation. The mountains will be there another day.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Around 12.50pm on Saturday, December 4, we received a report of two people falling in an avalanche at Coire an t-Sneachda.
"Officers and the Cairngorms Mountain Rescue Team were dispatched, and the man and woman were later traced at a nearby rescue post."
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