Identities of men, who sent mayday call from Alps on Friday night but who could not be reached because of poor conditions, yet to be released

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Two British climbers have died on the slopes of the Matterhorn in the Alps after being caught in bad weather.

Mountain rescue workers recovered the men’s bodies on Saturday from a ravine less than 500 metres from the summit, after they responded to an emergency alert on Friday. Their identities have not been released.

After the men began their climb, storms hit the mountain and the temperatures fell dramatically – something they may not have been equipped to deal with.

Although they are believed to have informed the authorities of their ascent, a member of the Italian mountain rescue service said the pair had been wearing light clothing. “We have had a rapid change in the weather,” the spokesman said. “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 pair had approached the Matterhorn, whose peak is at 4,478 metres (14,691ft) from the Italian side and had reached the Cresta del Leone ridge, a common route up.

Rescue attempts were hampered by high winds but the team from Cervinia discovered the men’s bodies on Saturday morning, buried under snow.

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. “Perhaps, with the right equipment, it is possible to survive on the Matterhorn,” he said

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.”



