Three great mountaineers missing in Canada
The famous mountaineers Jess Roskelley, Hansjörg Auer and David Lama were in the Canadian Rocky Mountains about 100 km from Banff earlier this week. The three were trying the M16, a very difficult climb on the Howse Peak at 3295 meters high when, most likely, they were hit by an avalanche.
After the first fragmentary news given only by the Tiroler Tageszeitung, which however did not give for sure the presence of the American Jess Roskelley, now it seems established that we are precisely talking about these three mountaineers of absolute world fame.
On Wednesday the Canadian authorities explored the area by helicopter noting “signs of various avalanches and debris containing climbing equipment“. Since then the three climbers have been considered dead: “based on the assessment of the scene, all three team members are assumed to have died. The three men, one American and two Europeans, are professional mountain athletes with great experience. Further investigations are underway, but at the moment no recovery operations are possible due to further avalanches and dangerous conditions on the scene. Precipitation and strong winds are expected which will cause an increase in avalanche danger in the area. “
Hansjörg Auer, 35 years old, born and raised in a small Austrian village, has been one of the best climbers in the world. Among his many challenges there was also the climbing in free solo only of Il Pesce, a famous and difficult route of 37 pitches on the south face of the Marmolada.
Jess Roskelley, 36 years old, from Spokane, Washington, was the son of the famous American mountaineer John Roskelley. With him he had climbed Everest when he was 20, becoming the youngest person in North America to climb to the highest peak in the world.
David Lama, 28 years old, from Austria, was a skilled climber of all specialties. Among his many achievements there are the Via del Compressore on the Cerro Torre and the solo ascent of the Lunag Ri peak of 6895 meters in Nepal.
These were three of the best climbers in the world who, together, had already climbed many difficult routes this spring, including the Andromeda Rope on Mount Andromeda. The M16 was completed for the first time in 2000, a very difficult route to face in the right conditions.
The North Face, sponsor of the three mountaineers, disclosed the following press release “We have learned that three members of our Global Athlete Team, Jess Roskelley, David Lama and Hansjörg Auer were presumed caught in an avalanche on April 16th in Alberta, Canada. They are missing and we are waiting for additional information as the search mission continues. David, Jess, and Hansjörg are valued and loved members of The North Face family and we are doing everything we can to support their families, friends and community during this difficult time. We will continue to keep you updated and ask that you keep our athletes and their loved ones in your hearts and thoughts.”
We at The Pill, together with the entire mountaineering community, join the pain of friends and family of these three great mountaineers.