A search and rescue effort is underway for three experienced mountaineers who failed to return from their climbing trip in Garibaldi Park, near Squamish, B.C.
In a statement, B.C. RCMP said the climbers were expected to return on Friday.
Since then, Squamish RCMP and Squamish Search and Rescue (SSAR) have been attempting to locate the group, but heavy rain, dense fog, and avalanche risk have made the search efforts challenging.
According to SSAR, the trio were last seen on Friday morning on the very difficult terrain of Atwell Peak, located on the southern edge of Mount Garibaldi.
“We’re talking about climbing with ropes, ice axes, crampons — that type of thing. We’re not talking about people who went out for a leisurely walk or, you know, to climb the Grouse Grind,” he said.
“This is serious, serious mountaineering,” he added.
RCMP reached out to SSAR for assistance on Friday evening, prompting SSAR to begin their investigation, Chute said.
On both Saturday and Sunday, rescuers attempted to fly and climb in, but these efforts were called off due to the weather, Chute added.
SSAR also tried using a drone to locate the missing climbers and received support from a military helicopter, but neither could operate effectively in the adverse conditions. Search and rescue crews from Whistler and the North Shore have also joined the efforts, Chute noted.
According to SSAR, the last known communication with the group was on Friday morning.
Rescuers will be on standby on Monday, awaiting a break in the weather that might allow them to safely enter the area.
Chute emphasized that anyone heading out for recreation on trails should be mindful that “it’s still winter up in the mountains,” and that search and rescue operations become extremely difficult in bad weather.
