Two Experienced Hikers Die in Separate Falls Near Lake Louise

A 33-year-old from Calgary and a 24-year-old from Jasper have died just days apart as Banff National Park enters its fall hiking season. 

Both men had experience in the backcountry, according to Lake Louise RCMP Detachment Commander Sgt. Susan Richter, who said there was no indication either had gone out unprepared.

On Wednesday, Sept. 9, RCMP were dispatched after the 24-year-old Jasper man did not return from his hike in the Lake Louise area.

Richter told Bow Valley Insider the man had been hiking in the backcountry and stopped communicating with family and friends, which prompted a missing persons report.

Parks Canada Visitor Safety responded by helicopter and located the man deceased after he had fallen on Recondite Peak.

At 3,356 metres, Recondite Peak is one of the Canadian Rockies’ 58 peaks above 11,000 feet and is considered a particularly remote backcountry objective. One documented approach from the Icefields Parkway involves roughly 40 kilometres of travel through a mix of trails and unmaintained terrain before the climb itself, which includes difficult scrambling and sections where a rope may be required.

Richter said the man had communicated with family and friends that there was snow at the top of the peak, which was later confirmed by Parks Canada Visitor Safety.

However, it remains unclear what role, if any, the conditions played in his death.

“I don't know if that was a part of it or not, and I don't know what the wind would be at the top of the peak, or what factors all combined to contribute to him falling,” Richter said.

The man wasn’t a stranger to the backcountry and worked as a guide, according to Richter.

“He's very familiar with backcountry recreational activities and knows how to research the conditions and everything that comes into it, and he had a lot of equipment, or appropriate equipment, with him,” she said.

Three days later, a second man died while hiking with friends in the Lake Louise area.

On Saturday, Sept. 12, the 33-year-old Calgary man and several friends hiked up the Lake Agnes trail to the tea house before continuing toward Devil’s Thumb.

The route to Devil’s Thumb branches off near the Big Beehive trail and is intended for more experienced hikers. The final section involves very steep scrambling over loose rock and dirt, with narrow, exposed terrain.

As the group descended, Richter said the man was moving faster than some of his companions and decided to take a different route down. They planned to reconvene at the bottom.

“They ended up not meeting up with him, and then not being able to reach him by phone, and they reported him missing,” Richter said.

He was reported missing at approximately 4:30 p.m.

Parks Canada Visitor Safety responded by helicopter and spotted him at what appeared to be the bottom of a cliff. He was found deceased at approximately 6:45 p.m.

With two experienced hikers dying within days of each other, Richter reminds people to take serious precautions while hiking the backcountry. 

“One of the biggest things I can recommend is to have a communication system, like a satellite communication system, an inReach or Garmin or something like that, so that you're able to communicate if something does go wrong,” she said.

Richter said most of the backcountry within the Lake Louise RCMP's jurisdiction has no cellphone coverage, making another means of communication “crucial.”

She also recommends researching a route before leaving, understanding its difficulty and choosing objectives appropriate for your abilities.

“Make sure somebody knows where you're going and when you are expected to be back. Know the weather conditions,” Richter said. “Make sure you have appropriate clothing, food, and water for the day and overnight, in case something happens.”

Bow Valley Insider reached out to Parks Canada to confirm the number of hiking and climbing-related fatalities in Banff National Park over the last quarter but did not receive a response before publication. 

Neither man has been publicly identified.