The 31-year-old man was climbing at Horseshoe Quarry, near Stoney Middleton, on Sunday morning when he fell from the cliff top as he was about to be lowered.

He fractured a vertebrae, broke both his ankles and a wrist, and sustained a head injury.

The man, from the Manchester area, was given morphine to ease his pain then taken to Chesterfield Royal Hospital by helicopter.

Edale Mountain Rescue Team leader Ian Bunting said: "He was quite badly injured, but having said that he's been very lucky.

"If you'd said someone had fallen from 50ft you would expect them to be a lot worse," he said.

Witnesses said by the time the man hit the ground, he was detached from the rope which had been protecting him.

Mr Bunting said: "There was a problem with how he'd tied himself off.

"He landed on his feet fracturing both his ankles, then put his arm out which's double fractured his wrist and he's bashed his head too.

"He was a brave lad at the end of the day. It's just one of those things that could happen to anyone – we all make mistakes," added Mr Bunting.

A police spokeswoman said the man was still in hospital. His injuries were serious but not life threatening.

Climber Adrian Mortimer was in another part of the quarry when the accident happened.

Mr Mortimer said: "I didn't see him fall but we heard all the sirens and then we saw the chopper land.

"He would have taken a substantial fall - about 14 metres - on to broken rock below," he added.

Police officers, paramedics, an air ambulance and 18 mountain rescue team members attended.