The sole survivor, who asked not to be named at this "very difficult time," was said by rescue teams to have escaped by jumping to firmer ground and clinging to an ice axe embedded in the snow. He received only minor injuries, raising the alarm along with two other climbers in a different party at around 2pm, and eventually walking down the mountain. Speaking of the accident last night, he paid tribute to his late friends, who were all in their 20s, describing them as "experienced winter walkers" who "loved the mountains." In a statement, he said: "On Saturday 19th January 2013, five of my friends and I were descending a mountain in Glencoe named Stob Coire nam Bian in an area known as Church Door Buttress when the party was swept away by a snow avalanche. It is with much sadness and deep regret that some of my friends have died as a result. All in the group loved the mountains and are experienced winter walkers. My sincere thanks goes to the members of the public, mountain rescue teams and other emergency services who assisted. According to police, the group were all experienced climbers and "well-equipped" for the challenges of the mountain. They had been attempting to descend from a peak on the south side of the valley on Bidean Nam Bian and were at 1,100m when the snow-covered slope they were crossing broke away. The area is said to be a popular spot for walkers, with mountain rescue teams confirming it could be easily navigated by competent climbers. Scotland's first minister Alex Salmond has described the accident as an "appalling tragedy." All of the missing climbers were found within four hours of the alarm being raised, with a Royal Navy helicopter and search and rescue dog teams scaling the mountain to help. Jonathan Hart, chairman of the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland, said: "This was a tragic event and I speak on behalf of all the mountain rescue team members involved when I say our hearts go out to the casualties and the families of all those involved."