[Newsbot]

Title: 3 climbers die on Joffre Peak north of Pemberton
Category: Misc CDN
Posted By: Regina
Date: 2015-01-12 12:34:21
Canadian

[andyt]

I've been to the area and it's beautiful. Skiied off Matier, would never try it on Joffre.

The husband of one of the climbers found his wifes body. They couldn't find the other two, so had to ski out in the dark to be able to get cell reception.

Climbers were roped up, but it doesn't sound like they had any protection in place. In that case, being roped up just means you drag the others with you when you fall. Better to go unroped unless you're going to put in proper belay stations along the way.

[wildrosegirl]

Definitely a tragedy, but if there's a silver lining - they spent their last moments surrounded by absolute beauty.

[andyt]

In that moment you don't see the beauty. I've taken a pretty good tumble down a slope (nothing like this) and basically you start bargaining. At first it's just, let me stop. Then, let me just get bruised up. Then, I'll take a broken leg, but don't let me die. In the end I walked away, but it was a tense moment or two.

Similarly I used to say if I have to go, let me die in an avalanche, at least I'll be doing something I love. Then I started learning more about avalanches. You get tumbled around until you don't know which way is up. A trick is to let spit dribble out of your mouth and see which way it flows. Once the snow stops moving, it sets up like cement. So there you are in the dark, twisted around with probably broken limbs/shoulders/neck, maybe the snow is constricting your breathing and you're starting to get very cold as you're hoping your group didn't all get swept away and they are probing for you.

like the joke goes, I'd rather die in my sleep, not screaming in terror like my passengers.

[wildrosegirl]

I didn't say they saw it, just that they spent those moments surrounded by it.

The terror is something I'd rather not think about.