Wrexham postman stranded overnight on Scafell Pike

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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A WREXHAM postman was forced to spend the night in freezing conditions on England’s highest peak after a fundraising effort turned into a battle to stay alive.

A three-strong team were taking part in a Three Peaks fundraiser when appalling weather closed in and two of them were forced to spend the night huddled together to stay alive on Scafell Pike in Cumbria.

At one point their driver back on the ground had to make “the most difficult phone calls of my life” to inform their families they were in desperate trouble on the mountainside as temperatures plummeted.

Dave Mann, a Wrexham postman who lives in Llangollen, and his friend, Tim Benson, who are both 36 and experienced climbers, were taking part in the challenge with the aim of raising £1,000 for Cylch Meithrin Playgroup Llangollen.

The aim was for Dave and Tim to dash up and down Britain’s three highest peaks – Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in Cumbria and Snowdon in North Wales – within 24 hours.

Hywel Evans, 38, of Llangollen-based taxi firm, Acid Travel, was their main sponsor and driving them between stages.

Having completed Ben Nevis in four hours, despite driving rain, gale force winds and 2ft of snow at the summit, they headed for Cumbria where Dave and Tim set off up Scafell Pike at 10.30pm last Thursday.

Their goal was to be back on the ground by around 1.30am ready for the drive south to Snowdon.

But two hours into their ascent of the Cumbrian Peak the pair suddenly found themselves enveloped in thick mist, which completely obscured the path they were following.

Deciding it would be far too dangerous to stumble on, they put their survival ahead of completing the challenge and bedded down for the night, despite the intense cold.

They put their climbing experience to use by putting on all their spare clothing and huddled together for warmth in the one survival bag they had with them.

Back on the ground Hywel Evans was becoming increasingly worried by their non-appearance, which was made worse by the fact there was no mobile phone signal.

Mr Evans said: “By 4am on Friday the 13th I rang the mountain rescue team.

“Quite rightly they told me they couldn’t send anyone out unless we knew for sure there was someone actually in trouble.

“However, they did say they would send someone out at first light.

“I then decided to ring the two men’s families and inform them of what was happening.

“Those were the most difficult phone calls of my life as panic had really set in amongst them.”

Around 7am, Mr Evans was deeply relieved to receive a text message from the pair saying they were safe and on their way down the mountain.

They eventually arrived at the foot of Scafell at about 9am.

Mr Evans added: “Both were shaking uncontrollably from a mixture of exposure and shock.

“They said that if there had been snow up there they would have really been in trouble.

“Dave has a wife, Sarah, and two young children, Caitlin, who is six and Joe, four, back in Llangollen and Tim is married with no children and lives in Derbyshire.

“They both spoke to their wives and reassured them they were safe.”

Dave said: “There were times when, as two old schoolboy friends, we had the awkward situation of having to hug each other to keep warm.

“Once we were warm we spoke in gruff voices about rugby, engines and manly things until we were forced to embrace again!”

Once they had recovered from their ordeal, the duo at first planned to continue on to Snowdon.

But when they heard a severe weather warning for North Wales, they decided to delay the completion of their challenge until last Saturday as they had already stretched their Friday the 13th luck far enough.

[Lounge Lizard]

Blimey, a out on Scafell Pike in those conditions must have been even bleaker than a night in Wrexham !