Deepak Kumar is 'very grateful' to Nikki Wallis and the other rescuers

Nikki Wallis, 33, who was with her husky labrador cross breed dog Jacob, carved out shelter with an ice pick and covered the two men in a tiny tent on a Snowdonia mountain on a precipice with a sheer 800ft drop below.

She kept Deepak Kumar, from Nottingham, and his friend Vikram Phukan awake and stopped them developing hypothermia by playing word games and teaching them Welsh as more than 50 mountain rescuers battled through blizzards and the darkness to reach them.

Vikram Phukan, from London, was in agony after shattering his kneecap during the fall and the friends were ill-equipped to climb the ridges of Crib Goch and Crib y Ddysgl in the wintry conditions with Deepak kitted out only in trainers.

Nikki Wallis and Jacob were on afternoon patrol on Saturday when they were alerted after hearing cries for help from the pair.

"Vikram is very lucky to be alive after a fall like that," she said.

It was horrendous for the rescue teams - everyone, who are all hardened mountaineers, came back absolutely shattered. Snowdonia park warden Aled Taylor

"He was in considerable pain with a shattered kneecap but they are both strong characters because they didn't panic despite the situation they were in."

The warden immediately alerted rescue teams on her radio but an RAF Valley helicopter had to turn back because of the appalling weather conditions.

"I was concerned they would slip into deep hyperthermia," said Ms Wallis. "They were wet and although we were lucky to have the shelter, it was still very cold."

"I kept them awake by playing lots of word games like I-Spy and I think they've learned a few Welsh phrases.

"Jacob was a great help because he kept us warm in the tent."

At one point more than 50 rescuers from the Llanberis, Ogwen Valley and Aberglaslyn mountain rescue teams were on the mountain.

Nikki and Jacob back on firm ground after the rescue

After struggling with heavy rescue equipment, the treacherous conditions and zero visibility, rescuers eventually managed to reach the injured climbers and Ms Wallis after six hours.

Vikram Phukan was strapped to a stretcher and lowered 600 foot to safety and taken to hospital in Bangor.

Llanberis mountain rescue team leader and park warden Aled Taylor, who helped co-ordinate the rescue, said: "It was horrendous for the rescue teams - everyone, who are all hardened mountaineers, came back absolutely shattered.

"They are lucky to be alive and Nikki did really well. The one I spoke to was very grateful to her for what she did.

"I told him they had been very foolish to go up there in those conditions and he told me, 'I realise that now.'"