rockmx
Nov 8, 2004, 7:18 PM
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Registered: Jan 15, 2003
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Mobile phone aids mountain rescue
The climbers spent hours trapped on a narrow ledge
A group of mountaineers who became stuck on a ledge in Snowdonia used the light from a mobile phone camera to guide rescuers to them.
Five climbers from Newcastle University Mountaineering Club had become trapped in bad weather as darkness fell.
They called for help, and the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team were guided to them by the camera flash.
Rescuers abseiled the slope to reach the students, hauled them up over a ridge and led them to safety.
The group, all experienced climbers, were climbing on Snowdon on Saturday when they became stranded 800ft up the Y Lliwedd rock face.
'Cold and wet'
Although there had been no mobile phone reception at the foot of the mountain they were able to get a signal on one of the phones, and called for help.
Climber Chris Meickle said: "We were close to the summit on the trickiest part of the climb, and realised we were in trouble when dusk began to fall.
"Even though it was a tiny ledge it was the safest place to stop. It was cold and wet, so we just hunkered down and waited for rescue."
The group were soaked through, and their supplies of food and drink had run out.
Fellow climber Andy Gregory said: "We were talking on the phone to the mountain rescue team trying to locate us, and one of them asked if we had just taken a picture.
"We said we had, and they told us to keep on taking them as torch light shines for three metres only, but the flashes were lighting up the whole bank of fog."
The group were finally taken off the mountain around midnight.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/.../england/3993325.stm
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