SLIP ON SNOW, AVALANCHE, AND INEXPERIENCE—British Columbia, Mount Robson, Kain Face. Brian Darragh, Claude Ribordy, Jan Straith, Frank Campbell, and Robin White were descending the ridge bordering the Kain Face of Mt. Robson on July 30 due to bad weather when they suffered two accidents. They were tied together on one 250-foot rope. The first accident occurred at 10:50 a.m. when one member slipped as they were leaving the ridge to descend a gully toward the Dome Plateau, and pulled several others after him. The party was stopped by the rope catching on rock outcrops and by the efforts of a belayer. There were no injuries except abrasions and a few bruised ribs, but some equipment was lost and the party was demoralized.

The descent slope was covered with soft, unstable wet snow that had probably fallen during the preceding two days. The party was very slow, and at 3 p.m. was still on the snow. A small avalanche swept them down the slope, pulling out several snow anchors that they had placed as running belays. They slid over the bergschrund and stopped as the slope eased. One member fractured a vertebra in his lower back, and another had pulled several ligaments free in his left leg. Tony Daffern, a member of the Calgary Mountain Rescue Group, was climbing nearby and helped to set up a tent to shelter the victims, and sent several people for help. The injured climbers were evacuated by helicopter the following day. (Source: L. P. Michaud.)

Analysis: The initial decision to descend from the ridge by that route was a poor one, and was caused mainly by the lack of a designated leader. The conditions were poor. The party descended slowly because it was shaken by the first accident, and some members were inexperienced on ice and snow and this lengthened the time of exposure to avalanches. Fortunately, major avalanches did not occur. (Source: L. P. Michaud.)