Photo: Parks Canada
A new video shows a Banff skier’s harrowing descent as they are enveloped by an avalanche. The incident occurred on January 20, when Parks Canada Visitor Safety responded to an avalanche at a backcountry run dubbed “Vortex,” outside of the Lake Louise Ski Area in Banff National Park, located in Alberta, Canada.
As seen in video captured by onlookers, a single skier was descending a west-facing slope at around 8,000 feet of elevation, when they triggered a sizable avalanche. They were carried all the way to the bottom of the slope, buried to the waist and lost both skis. Luckily, they were otherwise uninjured.
“You couldn’t have made a bigger avalanche there. It took the whole snowpack,” Yamnuska Mountain School guide Barry Blanchard told CBC News, adding that the skier was very fortunate to come out of the incident unscathed. Not only were there exposed rocks around them on the way down, but they also avoided asphyxiation from being fully buried.
“We are thankful the pair were willing to share their video for its value in informing other recreationists in a timely manner,” wrote Parks Canada Mountain Safety “They were experienced, well-equipped, descended one at a time, and had a safe regroup location.”
