While driving the Icefields Parkway late Thursday night, Jasperite Manu Loir-mongazon came across a man waving a light on the side of the highway. He was standing next to a truck, fully decked out in ice climbing gear, with a harness and crampons still on his body.
The French Canadian man was looking for help. According to Loir-mongazon, the man had been climbing on Polar Circus (Weeping Wall) in Banff National Park when his climbing partner was swept away by an avalanche.
"He asked me if I had a phone and I was like, 'well ya I have a phone, but there's no service here.' I asked him what was going on and he said 'my buddy got caught in an avalanche and I can't find him.'
"He was in shock, and I was like, 'when, what time, what do you mean you can't find him?' And he was like, 'well last time I saw him it was 6 o'clock in Polar Circus on the second ledge and he got caught there and I can't find him and I just got out.' That was at about 10:45 p.m."
After waiting to see if the man's truck would start, Loir-mongazon continued on to the Sunwapta Warden Station to call Parks Canada for help, while the climber made his way toward Lake Louise.
"I called from Sunwapta, I told them the whole story and then I just kept going and then I texted the guy as soon as I got to town and he just answered me this morning, just saying thanks."
According to Parks Canada, the missing climber is a Search and Rescue Technician from 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron based at 17 Wing Winnipeg. He went missing during a training exercise.
Members of Jasper's Visitor Safety Team were in Banff National Park Friday, Feb. 6, helping with the search and rescue to find the missing climber.
In a press release, Parks stated it was unable to initiate a response on Thursday night because of the avalanche hazard, deteriorating weather and nightfall.
On Friday, visitor safety specialists from Jasper, Banff, Yoho and Kootenay national parks were attempting to initiate an aerial helicopter search of the area and were unable to initiate a ground search due to current avalanche conditions.
Parks is not yet releasing the climber's sex, age or hometown, and because the visitor safety team was in the field all day, no one is available to speak about the operation.
Stay tuned to the Fitzhugh for more information.
Nicole Veerman
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