Five snowshoers hiking on Mount Harvey fell to their death when a cornice collapsed close to the summit. The cornice broke away above the steep north west face, plunging almost vertically for approximately 150 m before triggering a size 3 loose wet avalanche on the slope below. The five victims appear to have been swept down with the snow and were discovered buried in the avalanche deposit in the runout zone. The sixth member of the group had become separated from the main group and did not witness the cornice collapse. He met up with another solo hiker and when they discovered evidence of a freshly separated section of cornice deduced the rest of the group must have fallen down the steep NW face. The weather on the day in question was stormy with the freezing level around 900 m.
Avalanches
Date/Heure
Taille
Type
Déclencheur
Altitude
Versant
Largeur de la plaque
Épaisseur de la plaque
2017-04-08 15:43
U
U
U
1652 m
nw
-
-
Weather
Température actuelle
Température maximale
Température minimale
Tendance 24h
Vitesse du vent
Direction du vent
Condition du ciel
Type et intensité des précipitations
-
-
-
Steady
S
s
X
S5
Commentaire météo: 60 cm new snow fell in previous 48 hours with strong winds from the SSE.