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Father on 200-mile Snowdonia mountain mission 'rescued'

Getty Images Cwm Lloer from Llyn y Cwm, Ogwen Valley, with snowGetty Images
Rescuers were called to the Ogwen Valley's Cwm Lloer early on Easter Monday

A father who drove nearly 200 miles (320km) to save his daughter in blizzard conditions ended up calling for mountain rescue help himself.

The experienced walker had driven through the night from Cardiff to reach his 22-year-old daughter who was wild camping in Snowdonia.

But in snow, rain and wind on the hills, the father realised he needed emergency help.

The pair were reunited safe and well by Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue team.

The woman had pitched her tent in Cwm Lloer on Easter Sunday, below the peak of Pen yr Ole Wen.

But the weather changed rapidly overnight, with strong winds and rain and then snow.

Mountain rescuers said the wild camper's tent was "being blown away", and she rang home for help.

Her father decided he would drive to the rescue from Cardiff.

But as he finally made his way onto the hillsides at about 05:00 BST on Easter Monday, his daughter had managed to find her way back down to the main A5 trunk road.

"In those conditions, they had obviously passed like ships in the night," said Chris Lloyd, from the Ogwen Valley rescue team.

"He had progressed up, and then realised this was going to be a much bigger challenge than for one person trying to search for one other person somewhere in this cwm."

Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Snow looking across to Tryfan and Y Garn, from Ogwen Mountain Rescue base in Snowdonia, on 6 April, 2021Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue
Temperatures in the Ogwen Valley had plummeted by the end of the Easter holiday weekend

Mr Lloyd said the father was also struggling to navigate in the difficult weather conditions, and his daughter - now safely in her car - had the family's only map of the area.

The mountain rescue team was called out at about 05:30, with eight members searching for the missing man and his daughter.

The woman was quickly located on the roadside, while the rescue team found her father walking back down the valley.

The two were taken back to the Ogwen rescue base "cold" but safe.

The mountain rescuer said both father and daughter were well equipped and apologetic.

"We warmed them up with tea, and even managed to rustle up some vegetarian bacon butties for them," said Mr Lloyd.

"It was just one of those things that can happen on the mountains."