The wife of a Long Preston walker missing in the snow-covered Cairngorms since the weekend said her family was in “limbo” anxiously waiting to find out if he is safe.

Linda Cunliffe travelled with her two daughters to the Highlands desperate for news of her husband, Grant, an experienced outdoor instructor.

But hopes are fading for Mr Cunliffe, 49, after a third day of searching ended without finding any trace of him and no more official searches were planned.

More than 180 volunteers from five mountain rescue teams, an RAF helicopter and search and rescue dogs were involved in the hunt for Mr Cunliffe, who went missing in the Lairig Ghru pass through the Cairngorm plateau.

Mr Cunliffe was last seen at the Corrour Bothy last Wednesday and was reported missing on Saturday after he failed to arrive at accommodation in Aviemore.

Mrs Cunliffe said her husband was a very experienced mountaineer. He is a freelance outdoor instructor and had taken a winter skills course at Glenmore Lodge. He was visiting the Cairngorms to get more experience of winter conditions before sitting an assessment.

His wife said: “He knows what he’s doing. He is out all the time. He’s been climbing all his life.”

She added: “The only thing we can think is that he has fallen and is in a sheltered spot somewhere where they cannot see him, or if he’s had a major fall and the dogs can’t smell him.”

Mr Cunliffe is due to celebrate his 50th birthday on February 11 and his daughter, Jessica, is 21 two days later. Miss Cunliffe is also due to get married in April.

“This was going to be a big year for us. Now we’re in limbo,” said Mrs Cunliffe.

The couple’s other daughter is 16-year-old Olivia.

Mrs Cunliffe last spoke to her husband last Tuesday night and missed a call from him last Wednesday.

Mr Cunliffe has also led walking trips for HF Holidays in this country and abroad and introduced many Craven children and young people to the outdoors through the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme and his work as an outdoor instructor at the now closed Humphrey Head centre in the Lake District.

“The children really take to him and he has inspired many to enjoy outdoor activities,” said friend and Long Preston resident Heather Thomas-Smith. “We are due to work together training a number of DofE candidates on expeditions this spring and he will also be undertaking DofE expedition assessments this summer in addition to leading walking holidays.”

And Lothersdale woman Ann Durham, an outdoor activity advisor for Girlguiding in the North East, said: “I have worked with him on DofE and he is a very nice man. He is a Mountain Leader, so was going into the mountains for more practice.”