Alberta woman killed in Yoho National Park ski mountaineering accident

An Alberta woman was killed in a mountaineering accident in Yoho National Park on April 13, 2022. (Parks Canada)

Parks Canada says an Alberta woman was killed in a mountaineering accident in Yoho National Park last week.

According to officials, the victim was swept down the face of Mont des Poilus at around 11 a.m. on April 13 after a cornice she was moving across collapsed.

Cornices are overhanging masses of snow formed by wind on ridgelines. The large heavy masses of compact snow are generally at their largest and least stable during spring.

Alberta RCMP say the victim was a 28-year-old woman from Cochrane but haven't released her name.

Parks Canada says she was at the front of her group of five and had left her skis behind to climb the final ridge to the summit of the remote peak on the western edge of the Wapta Icefield when it happened.

The collapse was large, between 60 and 80 metres across, triggering a size 3 avalanche on the surrounding slopes. A size 3 avalanche has enough power to destroy a car or a small building.

According to Parks Canada, the party was experienced and well prepared for the climb.

Visitor safety specialist Steve Holeczi says it can be difficult to determine where rock ends and a cornice begins. He recommends backcountry travellers stay well back from suspected cornices.

The party was able to alert rescuers immediately after the accident, communicating by text through a satellite device and later by radio as a helicopter got closer.

Four wardens located the woman's body on top of the snow.

Parks Canada said she had fallen about 300 metres.