Fatal Alpine Accidents

".. A group of six climbers were on Colchuck Peak when the lead climber triggered an avalanche that buried climbers below them..." Three climbers were killed by an avalanche on Colchuck Peak in Central Washington. The accident occurred at around 1 p.m. on Sunday and was triggered by the lead climber who planted his ice ax and triggered a slab that they were on to slide. The mountain is close to Cascade Mountains Village of Leavenworth east of Seattle. The deceased included a man, 53, from Connecticut; a woman, 60, from New York state; and another man, 66, from New Jersey. The Chelan County Sheriff's office reported that no climber was to blame for the incident, and that the climbers died of trauma and not from being buried. The accident is the latest in a series of avalanches in Canada and the United States this winter, which have caused at least nine deaths in western Canada alone.   Avalanche Kills Three Climbers in U.S.A. The body of Seong Cho, one of the three climber...

  Avalanche size/type:  Size 3.5, deep persistent slab Aspect:  East Elevation:  2315 m Number caught:  6 Number deceased:  2 Description:  A group of five snowboarders and one skier were caught in an avalanche in an area known as Terminator 2.5, outside of a ski area boundary near Golden, BC. The avalanche was triggered by the group and four members of the group were involved. Three members of the group were buried by the avalanche, one partially and two completely. The partially buried victim was extracted and had sustained injuries. The two fully buried victims did not survive. A second group of snowboarders was lower in the track when the avalanche was triggered. They were impacted by the slide but were not buried and did not sustain injuries. The avalanche ran on a weak layer of facets near the base of the snowpack. The very large avalanche measured 115 m wide by 950 m long with a crown depth of 1.5 m. Terminator 2.5

  Zach Milligan, a well-known climber with close ties to Yosemite, has died in an accident on Polar Circus, a 700-metre WI5 climb in the Canadian Rockies. Parks Canada's visitor safety team found his body at the bottom of a cliff in the area. Milligan had previously made history by becoming the first person to ski down Half Dome, and was known for his solo climbs. Polar Circus has been the site of several tragic incidents over the past 40 years. Our condolences go out to Milligan's family and friends. Polar Circus Yosemite Climber Dies Ice Climbing in Canada

Avalanche size/type:  Size 2, deep persistent slab Aspect:  East Elevation:  1950 m Number caught:  2 Number deceased:  2 Description:  Two skiers were caught in an avalanche on an east-facing slope on Potato Peak, approximately 40 km south of Tatla Lake. The skiers had accessed the area using snowmobiles, but were skiing at the time of the accident. Both victims were fully buried and did not survive. Search and Rescue were notified when the victims were reported overdue. The victims were located and recovered from the accident location. The avalanche ran on a layer of facets approximately 30-40 cm up from the base of the snowpack. The slope was characterized as highly wind-affected, containing areas of deeply wind-drifted snow and areas where the snow cover was thin and rocky. The crown depth was reported to be highly variable, between 40 and 130 cm. Potato Peak

  Three people have died in the past four days while climbing Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in the Americas, located near the Argentina-Chile border. Two U.S. citizens, Ayn Vincent Day and John Michael Magness, and a Norwegian, Moi Oystein, died in three separate incidents. Day died after reaching the summit against his guide's advice, Oystein died after falling ill about 19,500 feet above sea level, and Magness died after reaching the summit, succumbing to medical complications hours later. Magness was attempting the "Aconcagua Challenge" with two other Army veterans to raise funds and awareness for the Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund. Approximately 2,500 climbers have attempted to climb Aconcagua this season. 2 Americans, 1 Norwegian Dead in Separate Incidents While Climbing Highest Mountain in the Americas

James Bake, a 32-year-old ice climber from Gaylord, Michigan, went missing while climbing at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and was later found dead. The National Park Service, the Coast Guard, and Alger County Rescue 21 conducted a search for Bake after he was reported missing, but the search was called off due to dangerous conditions caused by waves and ice formations. The search resumed the following day, but after some of Bake's personal items were found in the water, the authorities called off the search. Bake's death occurred as the Michigan Ice Festival was about to begin. James Bake. Photo via Instagram @michiganbake Ice Climbing Proves Fatal for 31 Year Old American as Widowed Wife Details Michigan Shocker

".. He disappeared into the cloud below, falling a good distance down some very steep and nasty ground. His two colleagues saw him go so they tried to scramble to the edge to see where he had gone and climbed down quite a bit. It was becoming really difficult ground and they called for him but there was no response..." A 23-year-old man from Yorkshire died after falling 600ft from a ridge in Snowdonia, Wales. He was climbing with two friends when a handhold broke, causing him to fall. Mountain rescue teams were called to the scene, recovered the man's body with the help of a coastguard helicopter, and reported that the incident was a tragic accident. 12 rescuers searched for the man's body, which was found in the darkness shortly after 9pm with no signs of life. The chairman of the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation (OVMRO), who was part of the rescue effort, reported that the three young men were well-equipped and had done a lot of hillwalking together, and th...

  10 people were killed in avalanches across the Austrian and Swiss Alps over the weekend. Despite the level four avalanche alert issued by Austrian authorities, ski resorts were filled due to school holidays. The deceased include tourists from New Zealand, China, and Germany. In Austria, 5 deaths were reported, including a 59-year-old man using a snow plough, a ski guide, and a 62-year-old man cross-country skiing. In Switzerland, two people were killed by unstable snow. Avalanches are common in both countries and 30 were reported in Tyrol region, Austria on Saturday alone. Level four alert means "very large avalanches are likely" and advises inexperienced skiers to stay on open ski runs and experienced skiers to avoid steep terrain. Weekend avalanches kill 10 in Austria and Switzerland

  The tragic season in Patagonia continues with the death of Marcos Gorostiaga, a 28-year-old doctor from Bariloche, who was the fifth climber to die this season, a record number. Gorostiaga died after being hit by a falling rock while climbing Cerro Mocho. Earlier this season, other climbers also died due to various causes. The rescue team at Comision de Auxilio in El Chalten is overworked and lacks resources, such as a helicopter. The reason behind so many deaths in Patagonia this season is a subject of sadness and confusion. Doctor Killed by Rockfall Climbing in Patagonia