Overnight rescue saves two climbers stranded on Golden Ears route
Two climbers stranded on a challenging route in Golden Ears Provincial Park were rescued in an overnight helicopter operation that stretched into the early morning hours last week.
Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue (RMSAR) said it was called at around 8 p.m. on Sept. 22 after two climbers became stuck partway up the White Dyke, an alpine scrambling route that requires climbing equipment and experience. Information gathered by rescuers indicated the pair were stuck mid-climb and hanging from their rope.
Given the seriousness of the situation, RMSAR said decided a nighttime helicopter rescue was necessary.
With assistance from Coquitlam Search and Rescue and Talon Helicopters, two Ridge Meadows rescue technicians were hoisted onto the White Dyke above the stranded climbers. The rescuers then scrambled and rappelled down toward them.
When they reached the first climber, rescuers discovered the second was another climbing pitch farther down the route.
Crews worked to lower both climbers by rope to the bottom of the climbing route, where a helicopter hoist extraction could be carried out more safely.
The group then had to wait several hours for a weather system to clear before they could be extracted.
Everyone was flown out of the backcountry at around 5:30 a.m., more than nine hours after the initial call.
RMSAR said the incident was the second time in the past few months that one of the climbers had required a rescue by the team. The organization said it also understood the same person had recently been rescued by another search and rescue team.
Following the incident, RMSAR urged people heading into challenging alpine terrain to realistically assess their abilities and experience.
“Climbing skills can’t be learned by taking a single course, reading a book, or watching a few videos,” the organization said in social media post, adding that experience is best developed through mentorship from experienced climbers over multiple trips and different types of terrain.
The team also stressed the importance of recognizing early when it is time to turn around.
A turnaround point should account not only for the time of day, RMSAR said, but also the terrain still ahead and whether there is enough time to safely complete the objective. Those considerations become increasingly important in the fall as daylight hours shorten and nighttime temperatures fall.
Weather was also a factor in the Sept. 22 rescue, with a rain system moving into the area while crews were working to reach the climbers.
RMSAR said people should also consider the skills, fitness and comfort level of everyone in their group and watch for signs of fatigue throughout a trip.
