An Alberta woman has died after falling during a hike on a mountain in Kananaskis Country over the weekend.
Public safety officials confirmed that on June 21, a woman in her mid-40s was hiking with friends on Mount Fable when she left the group to explore a cave on the mountain.
Officials believe the woman then fell to her death while taking the alternate route.
“A group of hikers was heading up Mount Fable, and while they were on the ascent, a female member went to look at a cave where there was more technical terrain,” Kananaskis Country public safety specialist Mike Koppang said.
“We suspect there was a fairly significant fall while trying to access the cave.”
Koppang said the team received the call at around 8:30 p.m., after the woman’s friends were unable to locate her at the mountain’s 2,702-metre-high peak, or back at their vehicles.
Officials began the search for the woman and were able to locate and recover the body within an hour, Koppang said.
“Based on the information and the time of the day, we tried to fly right away and we were able to locate the subject on the southeast face of Mount Fable.”
The last time the group saw the woman was at around 1 p.m., Koppang added.
Officials noted that while hiking is a popular activity in the area, staying with a group and learning how to navigate the unpredictable terrain on the mountains is vital for the safety of all backcountry users.
“We always tell people to try to stay together as a group and be aware as steep terrain can be very unforgiving,” Koppang said.