FRIENDS of a businessman who is seriously ill in hospital after falling 200 feet down Ben Nevis have sent him messages of support.

Nick Harper, 57, of Sheriff Hutton, fell while climbing with two other men near the summit of Britain’s highest mountain on Saturday. He suffered multiple injuries and is said to be in a stable but serious condition in hospital.

Mr Harper, well-known for his love of climbing, is a former member of York Mountaineering Club and has decades of experience.

Richard Harrison, chairman of York Mountaineering Club, said: “I have climbed with Nick throughout England and Scotland on many occasions, as well as the British Guari Sankar expedition back in 1995.

“Nick is a very experienced and competent climber and mountaineer who will have been very well-equipped for climbing on Ben Nevis.

“He has considerable knowledge of winter climbing on Ben Nevis and I am saddened by the news of the accident, which I understand happened on Saturday.

“On behalf of York Mountaineering Club and the mountaineering community in York, I would like to wish Nick a speedy recovery.”

Mr Harper, the chairman of Harpers Waste Management Ltd in Sutton-on-the-Forest, was taken to hospital in nearby Fort William and then to the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow for further treatment to his injuries A search party from Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team mounted a risky operation to lower Mr Harper on a stretcher to a waiting RAF search and rescue helicopter.

John Stephenson, team leader of Lochaber Mountain Rescue, said: “They had been out climbing; I think there were three in the group. He must have been leaving and he had a fall of about 60 metres. We saw a guy lying in the snow.

“He was lying on very steep ground and it was a case of our guys stretchering him. He was up in the clouds so the chopper could only take us so far. We used ropes to lower him to the helicopter.”

David Garner, a climbing friend of Mr Harper, said: “I have known Nick for 30-odd years and he is a very strong and competent climber. He was hugely experienced and until we know the precise details of what happened, it would be wrong to speculate as to what the causes were.

“He is physically an extremely strong guy and hopefully he will pull through this.

“It’s indicative of the potential risks of snow and ice climbing. Our best wishes go to him and we hope he recovers quickly.”

Mr Harper’s colleagues at Harpers Waste Management Ltd have also spoken of their concern for him and his family and said they are “anxious to have him back”.

A spokesman for the Northern Constabulary, which polices the Highlands and Islands, said: “At about 11am on Saturday, police in Fort William were alerted to an incident on Ben Nevis whereby a 57-year-old male had fallen approximately 60 metres.

“Lochaber Mountain Rescue team and RAF search and rescue helicopter rescue 137 attended.”