The only survivor of the Ben Nevis avalanche disaster has described how he miraculously regained consciousness with just one arm and his head above the snow.
Three men died when the group of members form the Swiss Alpine Club of Sion were swept away by tumbling snow in about "two seconds".
Mathieu Biselx, 30, was the only climber in the party who survived the massive snow slide on the UK’s highest mountain on Tuesday.
From his hospital bed at Queen Elizabeth University hospital in Glasgow, the Swiss national told The Times: “It was between noon and 1pm when everything went wrong.
“We weren’t very high up and all of a sudden, we heard a noise,” he said.
“We turned back and, two seconds later, we were swept away by heavy compact snow.
“I lost consciousness and when I woke up only my head and one arm stuck out the snow.”
“I am seriously injured. Both my legs, my back, one shoulder and one arm are affected but I’ll get through it.”
He spoke to Swiss newspaper Le Nouvelliste about his fellow climbers saying: "It’s awful. They are no longer here. They will not see their families again.”
Along with another Swiss national, 43, and two French citizens aged 41 and 32, the group were all experienced climbers, who arrived in Scotland on Sunday.
They were climbing Ben Nevis despite the Scottish Avalanched Information Services issuing a rare “high warning” alert that snow slides were bound to occur.
The avalanche on Tuesday was the third to hit "gully number five" on the mountain within five days.
John Stevenson, head of the Lochaber Mountain Rescue team said: “Yesterday was the worst conditions on the Ben this winter.
“It was horrendous. Over 80mph winds, lightning, thunder and snow.
“I would certainly not have been climbing in a gully on that day.”
Mr Stevenson urged climbers to heed warnings, as efforts to recover the group were hampered by the extreme weather conditions.
He said there was “no shame in turning back,” and “the Mountains are always going to be there.”
Military personnel from the Joint Services Mountain Training as well as 29 volunteer mountain rescuers were all involved in the rescue operation.
