The Kananaskis Country Public Safety Section warned hikers on the dangers of cornices when trekking through the mountains in a Facebook post last Wednesday.
Cornices are overhanging masses of hardened snow at the edge of mountain precipices.
The Facebook page shared two photos of a cornice overhanging a 1,000-foot cliff, warning people of the danger.
“Use a probe or ski pole to identify where the snow starts to thicken on the good side of the cornice and leave it a wide berth,” the post reads. “When they fail, they can pull back and release from what appears to be flat, safe ground.
“Kind of like having the rug pulled out from under you.”
The post also said that cornices fall on a regular basis around this time of the year. Officials strongly suggest avoiding being anywhere near them at all times.
Watch from January 2018: The avalanche risk in in Kananaskis Country is now rated at considerable. As part of an effort to prevent deaths and injuries in the backcountry, Alberta Parks hosted Avalanche Awareness Days this weekend. Carolyn Kury de Castillo reports.