Eight walkers called Keswick Mountain Rescue Team after getting into difficulty while descending Scafell Pike in wet conditions.
The two separate parties of ramblers had reached the top of the mountain on Thursday evening and decided to descend together.
Part way down the Corridor Route they became unsure of the exact route down.
They did not feel they wanted to climb the difficult step and having tried to descend a little they decided to backtrack.
The group quickly became benighted and decided to call mountain rescue while they had good reception.
A SARLOC phone find message gave their precise location on the Corridor Route and members of Keswick Mountain Rescue Team went to their aid.
They climbed up from Seathwaite and the group was walked down to their vehicles at Seathwaite without incident. Thirteen team members were involved in an incident that lasted almost five hours.