Climber dies in Alberta mountain plunge
Calgary outdoorsman had travelled same route before
Last Updated: Tuesday, August 10, 2010 | 10:08 PM MT
CBC News
James Hoshizaki, 39, had been scrambling on Mount Kidd with a friend from work. (John Spittal/CBC) Crews in Alberta's Kananaskis Country are trying to recover the body of a Calgary mountain climber who died in a weekend fall.
James Hoshizaki, 39, had been scrambling — climbing with only one's hands and feet, usually without ropes or belays — on Mount Kidd on Saturday with a friend from work.
Hoshizaki stepped out on a snow cornice to pose for a photo when it gave way, resulting in an avalanche that swept him down about 200 metres, the RCMP said on Tuesday.
His friend was able to call authorities for help.
The avalanche brought down about eight to 10 tonnes of ice and rock, said Burke Duncan, a public safety specialist for Kananaskis Country.
Weather and difficult terrain have made it hard for emergency personnel, including conservation officers with the help of Alpine Helicopters, to recover the climber's body.
'We really just see it as an accident and a tragedy.'— Karen Ball, climber's sister-in-law
"We suspect he's caught up in a mix of rock and snow. It's not your classic avalanche situation," said Duncan. "The cornice broke up and was pulverized during the fall and has become loose, wet snow and it cleaned out a lot of loose rock in the area."
Hoshizaki was a regular outdoorsman and had done that same route before, his sister-in-law, Karen Ball, told CBC News. He leaves behind a wife and two children, aged eight and five.
"There's always an element of danger involved when you are in the mountains and a mountainous area, and we really just see it as an accident and a tragedy," said Ball.
Kananaskis RCMP are investigating the incident but foul play is not suspected, they said.
With files from the CBC's Elizabeth Snaddon
