Banff, Alta. — Three Americans, two of whom had vast experience rescuing people off mountains, were killed Thursday by an avalanche while ice climbing in Banff National Park.
“These were experienced climbers,” Gus Bush, head of Tacoma Mountain Rescue, said Friday. “I knew they had planned to go. This was the third year they've gone up there. They were climbing waterfalls.
“You can prepare against it and take all kinds of safety measures, but there's always that chance, especially when you're climbing ice.”
Mark Ledwidge, a public safety specialist for the national mountain parks, said a temperature inversion Thursday probably contributed to the avalanche.
“One of the things that was going on was it was quite warm up high, when it was quite low down in the valley bottom,” he said.
“Things were warming up quite quickly above them without their knowing.”
It was a big avalanche — 3 out of a scale of 5. None of the three was wearing an avalanche beacon, but Mr. Ledwidge said that would not have made a difference.
“It came from quite high, and they were on steep terrain. It took them off their feet and swept them over a couple of cliffs and buried them at the bottom of the route.”
Searchers found one body and worked all night with two dog-handlers searching for the other two victims. Their bodies were found Friday morning.
The trio, part of two climbing parties, were on Mount Wilson near Lake Louise when the afternoon avalanche apparently knocked them off their route, said Shelly Humphries of Parks Canada. They were on a route called Midnight Rambler.
The RCMP identified the three as:
—— James Andrues, 66, a retired police officer from Tacoma, Wash., who was working in the sheriff's office there;
—— John Miner, 53, from Kenmore, Wash., who was serving with the Redmond, Wash., police department.
—— Russ Howard, 42, a civilian employee with the Redmond police.
Mr. Bush said he saw Mr. Andrues and Mr. Miner two weeks ago. Both were active in Tacoma Mountain Rescue searches, he said.
Mount Wilson, located halfway between Jasper and Banff on the Icefield Parkway, is a popular spot for ice climbers. It rises 3,260 metres overlooking the Bow Pass and boasts high cliffs that stretch and wind for 11 kilometres.
“It is a known climbing area,” said area guide Dave Stark.
“Ice climbers usually aren't on the snowpack. They're on the ice. But they're threatened from avalanches above them in the cliff bands.”
Mr. Stark said climbers should always be aware of sudden rises in temperature and look for such avalanche signs as hanging ice at climb sites.
Ice climbing is a year-round recreational pursuit that involves climbing up frozen waterfalls using a special hammer and axe. Small spikes called crampons are strapped to the boots.
Parks Canada has reported a considerable risk of avalanches in the area recently.
“We've had a few very sunny days lately and sometimes the sun causes heating on south-facing slopes and triggers avalanches in the afternoon,” Mr. Humphries said.
Last year was the worst year for avalanche deaths in Canada. According to the Canadian Avalanche Association there were 29 deaths due to avalanches: 18 skiers, nine snowmobilers, and two others.
In 2002, there were 13 avalanche-related deaths.
