SLIP ON SNOW—Alberta, Rocky Mountains, High Rock Range, Mt. Bishop. Peter Vermeulen, Herb Kariel, and a companion were descending the SW face of Mt. Bishop on October 26, 1975. At about 1600 hours, while traversing a gently sloping wind slab about 25 m from the edge of a cliff, Herb stumbled and fell, knocking Peter down. Both went into self-arrest, but the snow was soft and Herb stopped himself only by digging his axe into the scree. Peter fell over a cliff about 20-25 m. He landed on his pack in soft snow and sustained a multiple fracture of the right shoulder. He was able to walk down, roped between his companions, and they reached the car at 0430 hours on October 27. (Source: Herb Kariel, Chinook (Bulletin of the Calgary Section of the ACC), November 1975).

Analysis. Perhaps we should have been roped and spaced farther apart. Likely, the axe should be carried adze forward and point backward in a self-arrest position. (Source: Herb Kariel, Chinook, November 1975.)