A climber has been winched by helicopter off one of the UK’s highest mountains after sustaining a broken leg when he was caught in an avalanche.

The man, who was a member of a climbing group, is believed to have fallen as he and his colleagues explored a gully on Snowdon in north Wales.

Mountain rescue volunteers, RAF and coastguard helicopters, and specially trained search dogs were scrambled to the scene as darkness fell on Wednesday.

The Llanberis mountain rescue team initially had to retreat from the spot because of concerns they could be caught up in further avalanches. They had to take a longer but safer route to reach the party. Uninjured climbers managed to abseil to meet the rescuers.

In fading light and deteriorating weather, the decision was made to call for help from the RAF and the coastguard. The coastguard helicopter, based in Caernarfon, manoeuvred into position and winched the injured man, who has not been named, into the aircraft.

The Llanberis rescue team said: “The team were called to a climbing group who had been avalanched in Trinity Right Hand gully, one of the party sustaining a lower leg injury.”

Urging people to be careful if they head to the mountains in the snowy weather, the team added: “Lee slopes now have significant snow accumulation and windslab [a layer of snow whipped into place by the wind] is developing. More snow is forecast and the temperature is set to remain cold.”

The team also advised climbers to take extra warm clothing, crampons and ice axes if routes to the summit of the mountain are covered in ice or snow. It also warned against relying on electronic mapping or phones for navigation, saying compasses and printed maps could be more reliable.

A specially trained avalanche dog called Cluanie from the Search and Rescue Dogs Association in Wales was also called in to help in case anyone got caught in further avalanches.

• This article was amended on 31 January 2019. In an earlier version the headline incorrectly referred to “Mount Snowdon”.