Fatal Accident on Mount Howson. Major R. C. Gibson, M.C., President of the Alpine Club of Canada, died on August 20 after a fall on Mount Howson, highest peak of the Howson Range, in western British Columbia. In the death of Rex the mountains claimed one singularly devoted to climbing.

A party of five—Rex, A. C. Fabergé (Alex), Donald Hubbard, Alvin Peterson (Pete), and I—reached the Howson Range by float plane from Terrace, B.C. The region had been successfully explored during the climbing seasons of 1954, 1955, and 1956 by Alex, Rex, and other companions despite extremely rainy weather. (See: ''Explorations in the Howson Range,” by A. C. Fabergé, Canadian Alpine Journal, 1957.) With this background we could hope for success even though only eleven days were available for the trip. Camp was established in the rain near Sandpiper Lake at the eastern base of Mount Howson (ca. 9000 feet). The rain continued for a week, with snow above 7000 feet. A slight break in the weather on August 15 encouraged us to cross the col south of the mountain in order to look at the west ridge as a possible route to the summit. From a vantage point on the flat southwest glacier, the ridge below the cloud line at about 8000 feet appeared to offer an inviting rock climb. August 16 was a perfect day, which four of us used in an approach to the north col. The base of the col (ca. 7800 feet) was reached by 10 A.M., but the deep and unstable snow on the short slope to the crest was too dangerous for climbing. With continued fair weather, Rex, Don, and I decided to establish a bivouac and attempt the west ridge while Alex and Pete explored several interesting peaks to the south.

We set out from our bivouac at 6 A.M. August 18 and by 11 A.M. had reached an elevation of about 7000 feet in a snow-filled couloir on the face of the west ridge. We started by climbing on the ridge but had entered the couloir to round a possible cul-de-sac. Rex had just taken the lead, with Don second on a 120-foot rope. He had advanced about 50 feet in the couloir and was cutting small steps in the hard snow when I saw him half turn. He stepped down and without braking effort slid into Don, who was changing stance. The two slid past me into an avalanche chute. They were almost stopped by my braking effort on an ice axe belay, but I was finally pulled from my stance. We fell for more than 200 feet in the steep couloir. The fall ended by our breaking through a crust that had been undercut by a water seepage. Don was free and could move enough to dig Rex and me from the snow and slide us across to a small ledge in the couloir. Rex had a serious head injury and was only semi-conscious. Don’s right leg was swelling badly. I had broken my left arm and several other bones, but my legs were uninjured. Don and I decided that he would stay with Rex while I attempted to return to Base Camp. Extra clothing and food were adequate to protect Don and Rex from exposure.

I reached Base Camp about 4 P.M. August 19. Alex and Pete set out soon afterwards with sleeping bags, camping equipment, and medicines. They reached Rex and Don on August 20 about two hours after Rex had died, probably from a skull fracture. After a silent service, they covered Rex’s body and left it tied to pitons. They then started down with Don by roping off towards the southwest glacier. Lower down a crutch was fashioned from tent poles. They reached the Sandpiper camp on the 21st. The party was met by a plane at Burnie Lake, several hours from Base Camp on the 22nd and returned to Terrace. Alex and Pete informed the authorities and those most concerned. A group of climbers quickly volunteered to bury Rex but were prevented by difficulties of arrangements and the turning of the weather into continued storm.

Rex and I had climbed together on many occasions over a period of 27 years, while Don and I were constant climbing companions. We had been in many situations of far greater potential hazard than the one on Mount Howson. Our undoing came at a place of little danger according to our standards. But perhaps the greatest hazard is on steep hard snow.

Sterling B. Hendricks