Over the Canada Day long weekend, Kananaskis Mountain Rescue responded to 16 calls, ten related to overdue, lost, or stranded parties.
The remainder included four medical calls, one mutual aid call, and one reported drowning. Alberta Parks spokesperson Bridget Burgess-Ferrari said the drowning was a false alarm.
If sixteen calls in one weekend weren’t eye-watering enough, Kananaskis Mountain Rescue responded to a whopping 43 calls in June. That’s more than double what the agency received in May.
But Burgess-Ferrari claims this is nothing new and expects the agency will have its hands full throughout the summer as more visitors spend time outdoors.
“Throughout the month of May, the wildfire emergency situation across the province restricted or prevented many Albertans from engaging in camping and other outdoor activities,” Burgess-Ferrari told Rocky Mountain Outlook.
Just before the long weekend, Kananaskis Mountain Rescue’s training was tested when the agency was called to rescue climbers stranded on Grillmair’s Chimneys.
Grillmair’s Chimney is an 8-pitch route on the south face of Mount Yamnuska. As the name suggests, the route requires climbers to climb chimneys, any crack big enough to climb inside.
On the Yosemite Decimal System, a set of numeric ratings to rate the difficulty of a climb, Grillmair’s Chimney sits at Class 5, the highest rating used by the system.
An un-roped fall on a Class 5 climb can result in severe injury or death.
According to Kananaskis Mountain Rescue, the stranded climbers were descending Grillmair’s Chimney during a storm, but their ropes got stuck.
In an impressive climbing display, agency members were able to rescue the climbers without any injuries.
“Two staff responded to the base of the cliff, climbed up to the subjects and then rappelled down with them to the base of the cliff…these types of calls highlight why we spend so much time training in technical terrain,” wrote the agency on Instagram.
Burgess-Ferrari did not provide further details about the rescue to protect the privacy of those involved, but she did offer some words of wisdom to any adventurous Albertans.
Because cellphone coverage is limited in Kananaskis Country and the Bow Valley, she suggests visitors bring a two-way satellite communication device for emergencies.
Further, Burgess-Ferrari recommends coming up with a plan and sticking to it.
“Leave a detailed trip plan with a trusted loved one and stick to the plan to avoid an unnecessary response. Think of the plan as a contract – you have a responsibility to stick to it,” she explained.
Preparation is also critical to a successful climb. Burgess-Ferrari points out that most accidents happen on the way down because climbers take unknown shortcuts to shave off a few minutes.
Lastly, she advises climbers to check the forecast frequently and be prepared with extra clothes, water, and food.
