Tragic climber Robert Pritchard hit by 'hidden danger'

A Shropshire climber swept 1,500ft to his death by an avalanche on a Highland mountain was hit by "a hidden danger", an inquiry has heard.

Robert Pritchard, 37, was in a party of three when the avalanche struck on the Buachaille Etive Mor at Glencoe.

Mr Pritchard, who had previously lived in Bicton and Pontesbury, near Shrewsbury, died in the fall along with Christopher Walker, 29, a mountain climbing instructor from Cumbria.

John Grieve, the leader of Mountain Rescue Team called to the scene, told a fatal accident inquiry the avalanche was a "hidden danger".

The court inquest had already heard how the party had changed their route to avoid avalanches.

Mr Grieve, 66, who has been in the rescue team for more than 40 years, said: "They tried to get the safest way down in the conditions. But they were hit by a wave of snow which no-one could have foreseen.

"If it was me, I would not have done anything different. He (Chris) was very unfortunate. That was the right route to take. He chose the safest route down."

Mr Grieve was speaking on the second day of a fatal accident inquiry at Fort William Sheriff Court into the incident on February 24.

The court had already heard from survivor Ritchie Birkett, 29, who described how he saw the pair desperately plunging their ice picks into the snow.

Mr Pritchard, whose parents still live in Shrewsbury, worked in finance in London. The inquiry heard that Mr Walker was a freelance instructor employed by Sheffield-based Jagged Globe. He had taken his clients Mr Pritchard and Mr Birkett to climb Curved Ridge in Glencoe.

Mr Birkett, said there had been no trouble climbing to the summit, but then conditions took a turn for the worse.

"Chris decided not to take the route down through Coire na Tulach. He left us in no uncertain terms that it was not a safe route, because of the avalanche risks.

A judgement will be delivered at a later date.