Ben Nevis climbers thank rescuers with whisky and wine

Four men who were rescued from Ben Nevis amid severe weather have thanked the team that saved them with whisky, wine and chocolates.

The group called 999 on Monday after getting lost on Ben Nevis in blizzard conditions without proper equipment, three of them wearing trainers.

Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team (LMRT) said the men had no ice axes, crampons and apparently no map, and were not dressed for winter mountaineering.

They were said to be verging on hypothermia when they were airlifted to safety and there were doubts they would have survived many more hours.

The group was taken to Belford Hospital in Fort William and all have since been released.

In a statement, LMRT said the men – who were visiting Scotland – had admitted a “significant error of judgement and are extremely sorry for the results of their actions”.

The team posted an image on social media showing gifts from the casualties which included a card, wine, chocolates, whisky and £200.

In a statement, LMRT said: “These were very young guys who without any prompting made a very generous gesture which is very much appreciated.

“Not everyone rescued appreciates that we are not full-time or not paid to be at their beck and call.” They also called for the public to “cut the guys a little bit of slack” as the incident had not resulted in any serious casualties and had helped raise the profile of the work the team does and mountaineering safety.