Two men killed in avalanche named

Two climbers who died after being swept away by an avalanche in Glencoe have been named.

Police said they were Christopher Walker, 29, from Keswick, Cumbria, and Robert Pritchard, 37, from New Malden, south west London.

The bodies of the two men were recovered by a mountain rescue team from the Buchaille Etive Mor area of Glencoe on Wednesday.

Northern Constabulary said Mr Walker had been a mountain skills instructor.

The two climbers were with a third man, who escaped being carried down the ridge.

Walkers behind saw what happened and called the emergency services.

Gave way

Leader of Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team, John Grieve, said at the time that the two men set off a small, slab avalanche "that just took them off their feet". He said the pair fell about 1,500ft (457m).

Mr Grieve said another group of climbers met the uninjured member of the party and they all searched until they found the fallen men.

The survivor then used a handheld GPS unit to guide rescue teams to the spot where the bodies lay.

At the weekend, two skiers from the Edinburgh area survived being swept 2,000ft (610m) down a mountain by another avalanche in Glencoe.

Police, the local mountain rescue team and a Royal Navy rescue helicopter were called after receiving an emergency call.

The two men, who were aged 26 and 23, were found in the Cam Ghleann area and airlifted to safety.

They were taken to hospital where they were treated for leg injuries.

It is understood the skiers managed to dig themselves out of the snow before rescuers arrived.

They had been almost at the top of the 3,600ft (1,097m) summit of the ski area on the peak when a huge slab of snow gave way under their feet.