WATCH ABOVE: A young man scrambling in the Lake Louise area fell close to 300 metres and survived. As Global’s Jayme Doll reports, Parks Canada is reminding all mountain users to be prepared.
LAKE LOUISE, Alta. – A 29-year-old man has serious back injuries after falling from a rock ridge onto a glacier in the area of Lake Louise in Alberta.
Parks Canada said the man was scrambling alone on Mount Whyte near Popes Peak on the boundary of Banff and Yoho national parks around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday when he fell 250 metres.
Scrambling means someone who is going up into the alpine area of the mountains, but is not necessarily roped or harnessed.
Three people who were on a separate peak heard the man’s cries, and called park officials.
“They were very insistent and we put a rescuer on the top of the mountain,” said Parks Canada spokesperson Linda Paulson. “He, too, could hear those calls and the combined effort with the helicopter we were able to pinpoint the gentleman.”
The man was recovering in a Calgary hospital as of Thursday night.
Parks Canada said there has been a lot of rockfall in alpine areas and people should consider that when deciding to scramble or climb in those areas this weekend.
Scrambling peaks range from “easily-accessed walk-ups with little exposure to steeper climbs with sections of serious exposure and/or loose, crumbly rock,” according to Parks Canada.
For more information on scrambling, you can visit the mountain safety section on Parks Canada’s site. There are also scrambling skills and safety courses available, such as those offered at Canmore’s Yamnuska Mountain Adventures.
With files from Global’s Jayme Doll
Comments