3 experienced climbers missing in Garibaldi Park, British Columbia

Search and rescue efforts are underway for three experienced climbers who failed to return from their climbing trip in Garibaldi Park near Squamish, British Columbia.

In a statement, British Columbia RCMP said the climbers are expected to return Friday.

Squamish RCMP and Squamish Search and Rescue (SSAR) have since attempted to locate the group, but heavy rain, dense fog and avalanche danger have made search efforts difficult.

According to SSAR, the trio was last seen Friday morning in the very difficult terrain of Atwell Peak, located on the south end of Mount Garibaldi.

The climbers are highly trained, said SSAR Director BJ Chute.

“Serious mountaineering”

“We're talking about climbing with ropes, ice axes, crampons, that sort of thing. We're not talking about people going out for a leisurely stroll or, you know, climbing the Grouse Grind,” he said.

“This is serious, serious mountaineering,” he added.

RCMP contacted SSAR for assistance Friday evening, at which point SSAR began its investigation, Chute said.

Then, on Saturday and Sunday, rescuers attempted to fly and climb, but their efforts were interrupted due to weather conditions, Chute said.

SSAR said it also tried to fly a drone to locate the missing people and obtained assistance from a military helicopter, but neither could handle the weather conditions. Search and rescue teams from Whistler and the North Shore also supported the team, Chute said.

“All of these efforts were deemed dangerous and ultimately failed,” he said.

A backcountry area of ​​Garibaldi Park is seen here in a file photo. Over the weekend, search and rescue teams searched for three climbers who went missing in the park on Friday. (British Columbia Parks)

The last known communication with the group was Friday morning, according to SSAR.

“It's difficult in this area, communication is often a problem even with satellite communication devices, so the fact that we didn't have communication is not a telltale sign of any outcome,” Chute said.

Rescuers will be on standby Monday, awaiting an improvement in weather that could allow them to reach the area safely.

“If time continues [to be bad] As it stands now, what we anticipate, we unfortunately won’t be able to get into that area,” Chute said.

Chute said anyone heading out to enjoy the trails should be aware that “it's still winter in the mountains” and search and rescue operations are difficult in bad weather.

“This unfavorable weather means helicopters can't fly at the moment and that will slow down any search and rescue operation, so people really need to think about what they're doing.”