Two British climbers found dead on the Matterhorn in the Alps have been named.

The pair have been named in local reports as Peter Rumble and Dennis Robinson, both aged in their 60s.

The men sent out an alert from the mountain on Friday as storms came in and temperatures plummeted.

Rescuers were unable to reach them because of high winds.

The climbers were finally located buried in snow on rocks on Saturday morning and their bodies have been recovered.


A member of the Italian mountain rescue suggested the pair had been poorly equipped and were wearing light clothing.

He said: "We have had a rapid change in the weather. On Thursday afternoon and overnight into Friday we had a lot of storms with snows in the high altitudes, and rapid falls in temperature."

The 4,478m (14,691ft) mountain straddles the border between Switzerland and Italy.

The men had been climbing from the southern Italian side and were on the Cresta del Leone, a rocky ridge and the regular route up.

The mountain rescue spokesman said two Russian climbers were also stranded in the bad weather but for a longer period of time, and he suggested they may have been better equipped than the British pair.

The man said: "Perhaps with the right equipment it is possible to survive on the Matterhorn."

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We can confirm the death of two British nationals in Mount Cervino (the Matterhorn), Italy and we are in touch with local authorities."