Warning issued as mountain rescuers called out to novice hikers suffering panic attacks

With social media making scaling Tryfan look like a walk in the park, volunteer lifesavers have issued a warning to inexperienced hikers heading to the hills over the holidays.

The warning follows a call-out last week, that saw a group call on Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue after one of their party suffered a panic attack 200 metres from the summit of Tryfan.

The mountain may only be the 14th highest in Wales, but its boulder-strewn slopes mean the ascent is more scramble than stroll.

A spokesperson from Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue said an incident on Tryfan on July 18 was one of "a number of panic attacks" that they had dealt with recently.

They said: "A group were 200 metres from the summit of Tryfan when one of them had a panic attack and couldn't move, a small group of team members were already at base so they deployed up to the casualty.

"After calming the casualty and providing reassurance, the group were all helped back down the mountain."

The team asked novice climbers to consider the seriousness of the ascent before lacing up.

“Tryfan has considerable exposure with lots of climbing over or around ridges and edges. Will any of you be overly affected by this?

“Tryfan is difficult to navigate over in a traditional manner, especially in poor weather. Are you able to navigate and relate map to ground?"

Earlier this month, a rescue party was called in to help four hikers who had become stuck in the waterfall gulley on the north ridge of Tryfan.

"There is no straight line to the car park – don’t be tempted to descend gullies just because you can see the valley floor," the warning continued.

"It will get very dark after the sun goes down, if you are taking sunset shots, remember to take proper, fully charged torches."