THREE climbers were rescued from a mountain in Snowdonia in a night-time operation lasting more than four hours.

The two men and a woman, all from the Ipswich area, called 999 for help after their abseil rope jammed while retreating from a climb on 3,000-ft Tryfan mountain in the Ogwen Valley on Saturday.

Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue went to the aid of the trio who were on the lower reaches of the mountain’s east face.

Chris Lloyd of the rescue team said the two men and one woman, who were visiting the area for the weekend and are all in their 30s, set off late in the morning to climb the route.

One of the men was a novice, while the other two were experienced rockclimbers.

“They did their best to get off the mountain without their rope, but the failing daylight and wet rock was too dangerous,” said Mr Lloyd.

He said the trio were using the same rope.

“It’s slow going with three people on the same rope, then after the heavy rain they realised they should retreat,” he said. “Unfortunately in the process their rope got jammed and they were unable to release it.”

One of the climbers managed to successfully make his way to the bottom but the other two needed to be rescued.

A team of ten rescue volunteers from the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue group was dispatched at 7pm and worked until 2am the following morning to bring the climbers to safety.

“Even though the night was mild, the ones being rescued were wet through, but they walked off the mountain and had a cup of tea when they reached the bottom,” Mr Lloyd said.

It was the 77th rescue made this year by the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue team.