The rescue team dug out the couple's bodies.

"They had been hit by a massive avalanche, a huge one. They had not even started climbing. They were not roped together," said Mr Stevenson.

"The avalanche must have come out of the Observatory Gully - a 15 minute walk from the CIC hut where their tent was found. It probably happened on their first day on the mountain.

"Because they were covered by so much snow we could not find them until conditions had thawed enough. They were under a lot of snow. We - and others - must have walked past them so many times.

"They were a few feet apart. We will never know what fully happened but they must have been buried by a really big avalanche. We dug them out and stretchered them off the hill. It was a very emotional job for the team. But these searches do not always have the best of outcomes - it is part of the job unfortunately.