On September 3, two pairs of experienced climbers were stranded high on Oubliette Mountain’s east ridge (450 meters, 5.9) after inclement weather moved in. The two pairs spent the night in an unplanned bivouac but were prepared with warm clothing and emergency tarps. It rained overnight, preventing them from finishing the route the next day. They were too high to bail off the route, so they made the call to request a rescue. The four climbers were rescued by Visitor Safety staff via a heli-sling rescue.

ANALYSIS

The climbers had more than three years of experience, but they underestimated the difficulty of the climb and may have been off route briefly. They were prepared for a bivouac and wisely requested a rescue in light of the poor weather and route conditions. (Source: Parks Canada.)