Our best friend fell 200ft to his death on a mountain but wouldn't want us to stop hiking

This time they were accompanied by Jack's dad and the Ogwen Mountain Rescue volunteers who had recovered their best friend's body.

"I think Jack's dad wanted a bit of closure," said Matty.

"They took us back up to where they found Jack. We had about half-an-hour there, asking questions."

While there they found Jack's cap, still resting in the place close to where he fell and were able to bring it back with them.

The number of callouts rescue teams in England and Wales have attended has doubled in the past decade, reaching more than 3,000 a year by 2024.

Across north Wales, there were 23 fatalities in the mountains last year compared to 14 back in 2015.

The part of north Wales where Jack died has two of the busiest mountain rescue teams in the UK.

The rescue team covering Yr Wyddfa, also known as Snowdon, is the busiest, while Ogwen Mountain Rescue, who recovered Jack's body, is the second busiest in England and Wales.

That emotional return trip back up Glyder Fawr was designed to bring closure and, perhaps, end a chapter in their lives, but it actually started something else entirely.

Within a couple of weeks, Jack's dad was back on the phone, only this time he wanted to plan his own trip into the outdoors with the boys - a new adventure.

"After that we just started going out together all the time," recalled Brandan.

"It just feel like talking to a mate, it's brilliant."

Matty added: "Climbing mountains is not something Jack ever would have wanted us to stop doing. And now we're doing it with his dad - it's like we're bringing a piece of him with us."

Since that point, Brandan and Matty have been travelling around the world, climbing higher and higher peaks - taking Rich and his partner, Andy, along for many of their adventures.

Of all the trips the new friends have now taken together, one was far more important than all the rest.

"Jack always wanted to do Tryfan, but we never got to do it with him," said Brandan.

The 917m (3,000ft) summit in north Wales is visible from the ridge where Jack fell - and had been down as Jack's next target for adventure.

"It was one of the last big mountains around here that we'd never done. We always said we wanted to do it," said Brandan.

Matty added: "Unfortunately the accident happened before that.

"So after the funeral we actually went up Tryfan with Jack's dad - and we scattered his ashes at the top of there. It was a nice gesture, to say that we'd finally all done it together."

Brandan laughs at the thought of what Jack would have made of his best mates spending their weekends hiking with his dad.

"I guess he'd think it was a bit weird," he say, grinning.

"But going out with his dad is just like going out with him. He treats us like we're his best mates."