A Highland mountain rescue team went to the aid of three walkers injured in separate incidents during a five-hour period at the weekend.
A woman suffered head injuries and extensive cuts and bruising after sliding about 650ft down a steep, snow-covered slope in the Red Burn area of Ben Nevis near Fort William on Saturday.
Another woman slipped on an icy path on the 4,409ft mountain and dislocated her shoulder and a man, who was taking part in a mountain marathon, suffered a broken leg in a fall on hills in the Glenfinnan area.
Search and rescue helicopters flew all three to the Belford Hospital in Fort William.
Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team leader, John Stevenson, said some walkers had been sliding down the snowy Red Burn slope for fun, using ice axes as brakes, while others had been seen attempting it without any means of stopping themselves.
He said as they were putting themselves at risk the team had now nicknamed the area “Lemming Alley”.
However, Mr Stevenson said he believed the injured woman’s slide down the mountain on Saturday had been an accident.
Their first call on Saturday was at about 10.30am when one of the competitors taking part in the Highlander Mountain Marathon was injured.
Mr Stevenson said: “A male had fallen over a rock out in the hills and heard a snapping noise. Another competitor phoned for help. Rescue 100, the Coastguard helicopter from Stornoway, flew team members up to him, loaded him into a stretcher and the helicopter took him to the Belford.”
At around 2.15pm, the mountain rescue team was called to help the woman hurt in the Red Burn area of the Ben.
Mr Stevenson said: “She had bounced about on the rock and the snow and was pretty beaten up.
“She had a head injury, which was our main concern, and was covered in cuts and bruises.
“The Royal Navy helicopter, Rescue 177, took team members up the hill. They packaged her up and the helicopter winched her off the hill.”
He added that, as soon as they finished that call, at around 3.15pm, the team was diverted to another incident about 200 yards away.
Mr Stevenson said: “A woman had slipped and dislocated her shoulder.
“The team helped her down the hill a bit, then Rescue 177 returned and flew her to the Belford.”