A 22-year-old climber has died after falling more than 200 feet into a gully on Ben Nevis over the weekend.
The man was climbing with a companion when the tragedy occurred on Saturday evening in the Moonlight Gully area of the UK's highest mountain.
Both men, believed to be from England, were climbing in what rescuers have described as "challenging weather conditions".
The alarm was raised at around 5pm, when approximately 20 members of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team scrambled to the scene.
The climbers were over 3,000 feet up the 4,413 feet high mountain when they fell. One climber, aged 30, survived with serious injuries but was able to move further down the hill.
His companion, however, did not survive the fall through the hazardous rocky terrain.
Rescue team leader Iain Murray told The Sun the surviving climber was "very lucky" to have survived the fall in "very hazardous terrain".
The team treated the injured man and carried him to a point where the Inverness-based coastguard helicopter could airlift him to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.
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Due to hazardous conditions with strong winds and rain, rescuers returned on Sunday morning to recover the body of the deceased climber.
The recovery operation was completed around 1.30pm on Sunday.
A Police Scotland spokesman confirmed the force was alerted to "concerns for two climbers injured on the North face of Ben Nevis" at around 5pm on Saturday.
Officers conducted searches alongside the mountain rescue team and coastguard helicopter, with operations continuing into Sunday.
The spokesman also confirmed the 30-year-old survivor had "serious, but not life-threatening injuries".
He added that the body of the 22-year-old man was recovered and his next-of-kin have been informed.
A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.
In a statement on social media, the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team said: "We send our deepest condolences to the family, and would like to offer thanks to the crew of Coastguard Rescue Helicopter R151 and members of Police Scotland MRT North Division."
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The man was climbing with a companion when the tragedy occurred on Saturday evening in the Moonlight Gully area of the UK's highest mountain.
Both men, believed to be from England, were climbing in what rescuers have described as "challenging weather conditions".
The alarm was raised at around 5pm, when approximately 20 members of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team scrambled to the scene.
The climbers were over 3,000 feet up the 4,413 feet high mountain when they fell. One climber, aged 30, survived with serious injuries but was able to move further down the hill.
His companion, however, did not survive the fall through the hazardous rocky terrain.
Rescue team leader Iain Murray told The Sun the surviving climber was "very lucky" to have survived the fall in "very hazardous terrain".
The team treated the injured man and carried him to a point where the Inverness-based coastguard helicopter could airlift him to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.
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Due to hazardous conditions with strong winds and rain, rescuers returned on Sunday morning to recover the body of the deceased climber.
The recovery operation was completed around 1.30pm on Sunday.
A Police Scotland spokesman confirmed the force was alerted to "concerns for two climbers injured on the North face of Ben Nevis" at around 5pm on Saturday.
Officers conducted searches alongside the mountain rescue team and coastguard helicopter, with operations continuing into Sunday.
The spokesman also confirmed the 30-year-old survivor had "serious, but not life-threatening injuries".
He added that the body of the 22-year-old man was recovered and his next-of-kin have been informed.
A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.
In a statement on social media, the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team said: "We send our deepest condolences to the family, and would like to offer thanks to the crew of Coastguard Rescue Helicopter R151 and members of Police Scotland MRT North Division."
Find Out More...