The climbers called for help after one of them fell and sustained a head injury. Photo: North Shore Rescue
A pair of climbers are back on solid ground after a complicated nighttime rescue on a rock face a little over two hours away from Vancouver, British Columbia.
The climbers, both from Australia, were scaling Yak Peak, just outside of a little town called Hope (interesting Hope fact with no bearing on this story: it’s where Rambo: First Blood was filmed) when one of the climbers fell and sustained a head injury. North Shore Rescue (NSR) crews were called at 10:40 p.m., but a few issues complicated their rescue attempts and the climbers were stranded halfway up the nearly 7,000-foot peak.
“The two climbers were hanging in their harnesses mid-face,” NSR explained. “A hoist crew flew up to the area with Talon helicopters utilizing night vision goggles. The flight was complicated by clouds and wildfire smoke in the area.”
After multiple attempts to get above the climbers in a helicopter, conditions were deemed to dangerous to continue and crews were forced to ground at Hope Airport.
“After waiting until weather improved the flight crew flew up into the area but were again turned around by clouds and rain,” NSR continued. “At this time the crew returned to Vancouver around 04:00.”
Search and Rescue crews then decided to mount a ground-based rescue as they waited for the weather to clear.
The climbers are safe after a tricky nighttime rescue. Photo: North Shore Rescue
“Hope SAR began to mobilize a ground response made up of rope rescue and mountain rescue certified SAR members,” NSR said. “Chilliwack SAR sent members up Yak and an NSR rope rescue team leader and mountain rescue member drove up from North Vancouver.”
By 5:30 a.m., Hope Search and Rescue crews called NSR and told them that the weather looked to be improving enough to get the helicopter back in the air. A fresh flight crew took off and were able to get above the climbers. They then set out to hoist them to safety.
“Two techs were inserted to the belay station and utilized the Petzl Lezard to attach to the bolted belay station,” NSR explained. “First the injured climber was hoisted out, then his partner, and were then transferred to EHS at the Zopkios Parking area. Ground crews then returned to the parking area as well, having made it to the top of Yak at the same time the heli arrived on scene.”
It was an incredibly complex rescue. Night flying is serious business, made even more serious by the proximity to the cliff-face and the complex hoists. As of this writing, the injured climber is expected to recover.
North Shore Rescue team leader Scott Merriman praised the climbers for having the means to call for help.
“Make sure that you have filed a trip plan with somebody and you have a means to call for help,” he said to the CBC. “In this case, they did have cell service up there, but just ensuring that you do have that means to call for help, it’s really critical.”
