On August 16, an experienced climber fell 250 meters to his death while moving unroped on the northwest ridge of Mt. Sir Donald. Reports suggested the 25-year-old man fell after pulling off a large block or boulder. Parks Canada was notified about the accident at around 8 a.m., and the fallen climber was located during a helicopter search.

ANALYSIS

The northwest ridge of Mt. Sir Donald is rated 5.4, with substantial sections of fourth-class climbing. Because of the climb’s length (approximately 2,400 vertical feet), it is common to ascend and descend large portions of the route unroped. The quartzite of Mt. Sir Donald is notoriously slippery when wet, but the weather was hot and dry on the day of the accident. (Source: News reports.)