Alberta, Rockies, Jasper National Park. At 6:00 a.m. on April 9, Harvey Sloan (29) and his wife (22) began to climb to the North Face of Roche a Perdrix Mountain at the east park gate of Jasper National Park. They were both inexperienced, and had no equipment. The weather was warm, but at 10:30 a.m. temperatures dropped rapidly and it began to snow. At noon Mrs. Sloan returned to the gate house suffering from cold and severe lacerations to her back caused by sliding and falling on the mountain side. She said a storm hit them near the bottom of the “chimney,” a section needing proper climbing technique under normal conditions, and perhaps impossible in such a storm. Mrs. Sloan wanted to return but her husband violently insisted that they go on. She thereupon turned and ran down the mountain.

Search began at once, using tracking dog and helicopter as well as regular search teams. But new snow piled up to 3 feet deep. The body was found at the base of a cliff on May 12. In all the circumstances it is not possible to analyze the accident adequately.

Source: Paddy Sherman