Three ice climbers found dead after avalanche in Banff

Associated Press | 02-13 10:35 PST | Staff

[Condor51]

BANFF, Alberta
Three ice climbers were killed after being caught in an avalanche in Banff National Park, Canadian officials said.

Their names and home towns were not released pending notification of next of kin but early reports indicated they were from the United States, said Parks Canada spokeswoman Shelley Humphries.

The three, part of two climbing parties, were on Mount Wilson north of Lake Louise when the avalanche apparently knocked them off their climbing route Thursday.

[Condor51]

I could never understand this 'sport'. Very dangerous.

[drhogan]

what exactly do they climb on? is it a glacier?

[EggsAckley]

My acrophobia makes it scary to go up and down stairs, no mountains for ME!!

[Alberta's Child]

This is up in my old neck of the woods . . .

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[headsonpikes]

I have a couple of reckless sons in Canmore, but even they decided to take a pass on ice-climbing.

[LibWhacker]

Yeah, but think of all the frozen
fish you could pluck out of the ice!

[jgorris]

The Good, the bad:

http://www.gorrisoft.com/robson.html

... and the ugly of ice climbing

http://www.gorrisoft.com/gasherdumb.html

[Alberta's Child]

News bump from the Canadian Rockies.

[Alberta's Child]

Those lucky sons of yours -- Canmore is a great place to live!

[MarMema]

They gave their names and identities on the local news here yesterday. An avalanche and they had no avalanche equipment with them, in spite of the fact that several of the dead were renowned professionals in the sport.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Oh, sorry to hear that. May they rest in peace.

Thanks for the ping, AC, it's a sad story.

[VOA]

I'm sure they didn't want to exit early...but if you've gotta' go, Banff is one of
the most majestic, beautiful places to go.
(although I think that the scenary in Jasper looks even better)

[MarMema]

Link

"The victims were identified as Pierce County sheriff's Deputy James Andrues, 66; Redmond police Officer John Miner, 53; and Russ Howard, 42, a Redmond police civilian employee. Andrues and Miner were active in Tacoma Mountain Rescue searches, though Howard was not."

[Alberta's Child]

(although I think that the scenary in Jasper looks even better)

Now that'll touch off a lot of disputes among folks who have been up there. LOL.

I've driven the length of the Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper about 25-30 times in the last five years, and I've determined the following: Banff is more picturesque than Jasper, but Jasper is the more "rugged" of the two. I've been to some places near Jasper that are very remote -- there probably aren't too many folks who have been to that area.

[Alberta's Child]

I'm surprised that kind of thing doesn't happen more often -- ice-climbing in those mountains is pretty hazardous.

[VOA]

Jasper is the more "rugged" of the two

LOL! I guess that makes me a rugged sort!

Banff is great, but maybe even at the subconscious level, I give Jasper the
nod because it sure seemed less commercialized.

[Alberta's Child]

That's right. The difference between the two is that Banff is about an hour and fifteen minutes from Calgary, while Jasper is about four hours from Edmonton.

Banff is also on the main route of the Trans-Canada Highway, while Jasper is on the branch of the Trans-Canada called the Yellowhead Highway. The Jasper route from Winnipeg to Vancouver is longer, but is actually preferred by many truck drivers because the grades over Yellowhead Pass aren't as severe as the grades over Kicking Horse Pass west of Banff.

[cherry]

what do they do in Canmore?

[headsonpikes]

Besides chasing women and risking their lives, they work as carpenters. The Jasper area is my old stomping grounds from the '60s, where I worked for four summers on building a road through the Yellowhead Pass.