LAKE LOUISE – A 42-year-old accomplished climber has died in a climbing accident on Polar Circus in Banff National Park – one of the most famous climbing routes in the world.
Lake Louise RCMP say Parks Canada received a report of an abandoned vehicle at the trailhead off the Icefields Parkway just south of the Weeping Wall about 11 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 10) and a search mounted the following morning located the man’s body at the bottom of a cliff near the base of the classic climb.
The man has been identified by friends as Zach Milligan, known for his daring ski down the 2,694-metre Half Dome to the valley below in Yosemite National Park, California, in 2021.
With hazardous avalanche conditions, Parks Canada’s visitor safety team flew a drone over the Polar Circus ice climbing area around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday to see if they could see anyone in distress or needing assistance.
“They found what appeared to be the deceased person at the bottom of a cliff in that area,” said Sgt. Susan Richter of Lake Louise RCMP, adding the body was located at about 11 a.m.
Canada Visitor Safety Specialists, Parks Canada law enforcement and Lake Louise RCMP recovered the body, with the assistance of Alpine Helicopters and Nordegg EMS.
The medical examiner’s office in Calgary was called and consulted.
Parks Canada visitor safety specialists say the experienced individual was undertaking a solo climb when he fell off one of the upper pitches, sustaining fatal injuries.
The say climbers in the area may come across personal items and climbing equipment that were left behind during the recovery. These items can be returned to the Lake Louise RCMP detachment located at 102 Village Road in Lake Louise.
"Parks Canada would like to extend its sincere condolences to all those impacted by this tragic event," said Ashley Gales, public relations and communications officer for Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay.
Polar Circus, located on Cirrus Mountain about 108 kilometres north of Lake Louise, is one of the most sought-after ice climbs in the world and is considered the ultimate route for an ice climber to tick off.
It offers about 10 pitches of mostly moderate climbing – up to grade 5 at the top – with a very short approach.
The climb, however, has serious avalanche terrain in between pitches of climbing and multiple avalanches and incidents, including fatalities, have been reported on all pitches of this climb.
On Feb. 5, 2015, Sgt. Mark Salesse, 44, died after he was swept off a ledge by an avalanche during a Canadian Forces training exercise on Polar Circus. While practising ice climbing skills, Salesse fell about 110 metres, hitting his head on the rocks, before being buried in the snow.
On March 22, 2022, two climbers were descending below the Pencil when they were caught in an avalanche triggered by a rockfall. According to Avalanche Canada, both climbers were carried over the grade 3 pitch below the Pencil, falling approximately 25 meters, with one party member sustaining serious injuries. Both climbers were rescued from directly below pitch 4.
Parks Canada reminds visitors that anyone travelling into the backcountry is responsible for their own safety and strongly recommends leaving a trip itinerary – including their plans and time of planned return with a trusted emergency contact person.
"Individuals seeking technical information about advanced alpine objectives may call Banff Dispatch at 403-762-1470 and ask to speak with a visitor safety specialist," said Gales.
