Mark Roberts, 47, escaped with minor injuries and some really cool helmet cam footage.
"When it all happens so quickly, you just try not panic and hope there's some luck with you," Roberts, a lifelong climber, told the British Mountaineering Council.
The 100-foot fall happened during a Snowdon climb on Feb. 24, when Roberts lost his grip while using ice axes:
Once both axes were gone, it was arms, hands, legs and feet in the less consolidated snow on the slope to try and slow my speed. Fortunately I slid into a rocky outcrop on my left with a bit of a thump, which took some of the momentum out of my decent, resulting in a bit of a spin, but I could still look for opportunities below for a point to stop. It finished with a drop onto a bit of a ledge or hole where my pack and crampons took enough hold to stop me ...
I was a little dazed but, critically, not unconscious. Interestingly, I had the foresight to check the cam was still attached and just hoped the vid had recorded that: it wasn't one for repeating! Time seemed a little different. I knew I'd lost my glasses somewhere but I could see movement of someone below and gave them the thumbs up to show I was conscious and not too badly injured. I already knew there was some damage to my ankles which were fairly painful if they were moved.
Roberts was quickly airlifted to the hospital. He says he's currently bruised and immobile, but will fully recover. Read his full interview with the BMC here.
