Kananaskis avalanche leaves one dead: Avalanche Canada

An ice climber has died after an avalanche in Kananaskis Country, Alberta on Saturday, according to Avalanche Canada.

The organizations says two climbers had just finished an ice climb in Ranger Creek, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, when the incident happened.

The pair were descending on foot at the base of the ice climb when an avalanche struck from above, the organization says.

Avalanche Canada says both climbers were swept into a gully, and while one was able to dig themselves out, the other was fully buried and did not survive.

The organization classified the avalanche as a size two wind slab avalanche that developed rapidly. Other dry loose and wind slab avalanches were recorded in the area, it adds.

The area is currently rated by Avalanche Canada as having “considerable” dangerous avalanche conditions, putting it at a three out of five on the danger scale.