A couple of mountaineers are lucky to be alive after getting caught in a significant early season slide during their ascent of the ‘Silverhorn‘ route on Mt Athabasca in Jasper National Park.
The climbers were roped up at the time of the avalanche and as such were carried together almost 2,000 feet downhill before stopping. The climber on lead was buried up to his neck while his partner was able dig himself out before assisting. They were ultimately airlifted out of the area with serious injuries.
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BE AWARE— just because it’s the first snow of the season, doesn’t mean avalanches are out of the question. New snow on old, melt/freeze surfaces like glaciers can create extremely precarious avy conditions and should be held in high respect.
#KBYG
Avalanche Details:
- Aspect: North
- Elevation: 10,500′
- Category: 2.5
- Size: 0.40m x 500m x 750m
Find out more here: Incident Report – Mt Athabasca [Silverhorn Route]
