A man has died after falling 70m (230ft) from a “notoriously slippy” Lake District mountain ridge amid snowy conditions.
The man, who has not been named, fell from Sharp Edge on Blencathra on Thursday afternoon, Keswick Mountain Rescue Team said.
His body was recovered and transported to the air ambulance, which then flew to the team’s base, the team added.
“Our first call-out of the year had a tragic ending after a man died in a 70m fall from Sharp Edge,” it said in a social media post.
“A Keswick team member already on Blencathra made his way to the scene above Scales Tarn, along with the crew of Helimed 58, who landed nearby.
“Keswick team recovered the body to H58 who then airlifted the man to Keswick MR Base.”
The rescue team said every year people get into trouble on the ridge as it can become “notoriously slippy” when wet and should be avoided unless experienced or well prepared.
Between 1949 and 2018 there were 11 fatalities, and in October 2021 a man died traversing it as part of his preparations to scale Mount Kilimanjaro.
Renowned Lakeland writer Alfred Wainwright described Sharp Edge as a “rising crest of naked rock of sensational and spectacular appearance”.
