A CLIMBER remains in a critical condition in hospital one month after she was caught in an avalanche in the Scottish highlands.

The 24-year-old woman from the Durham area was with five friends on Bidean Nam Bian near Glencoe when a sheet of snow gave way beneath them.

Four of the party – including two former Newcastle University students – were killed while one man survived by leaping to safety.

Northern Constabulary confirmed the woman was still at Glasgow’s Southern General Hospital where she remains on the critical list as a result of “very serious head injuries”.

The Journal told how the party of “experienced” winter walkers were caught by surprise when the snow gave way.

Former Newcastle university medical student Dr Rachel Majumdar, 29, died alongside her boyfriend Tom Chesters, 28, classmate Una Finnegan, 25, and friend Christopher Bell, 24, in the accident on January 19.

In the days following the tragedy, shocked friends paid tribute to the active and adventurous group.

Dr Richard Hardern, honorary senior clinical lecturer at Newcastle University, said: “They were well known, and much loved by many. Their loss is felt particularly widely and deeply.”

Mr Chesters, from Leeds, and Mr Bell, from Blackburn, were both PhD students.

This week three climbers have been killed in a separate avalanche in the Cairngorms, while a hillwalker was found dead following an expedition in the mountains.

Two of the three people who died after an avalanche in the Scottish Highlands were RAF personnel, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed.

A man and a woman died on Thursday and another man died in the early hours of yesterday, Northern Constabulary said.