The Climb - Day 22
June 1 Summary

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With the numerous days of storms that all teams on Mount Logan have been enduring, a lot of new snow has accumulated on the mountain. While most of us would see this as a great opportunity to head for the hills and take in a great day of skiing, up on a climb it's a much different scenario, the slopes are not groomed and the risk of avalanches (Encarta link)  (Encarta video) must always be taken into consideration.

As such, an avalanche (Cdn Avalanche Assoc. link) assessment was performed on the slopes today and the hazard level was determined to be "High Risk". As a result, when combining this new issue along with other factors that have not been working in the team's favour: continuing poor weather, dwindling food & fuel rations, time schedules, current team health, etc. the team has decided to not continue with the Climb. As such, they began descending today and are now heading back down towards Base Camp.

Safety must always come first, and when all the signs are pointing in the wrong direction, if heed is not taken, it's only a matter of time before a serious accident occurs. You can push yourself and get lucky "sometimes". But if things go wrong, fate steps in and a mountain can be very unforgiving and unmerciful to those who make poor or irresponsible decisions. Climbing can be a dangerous activity in extreme and very remote environments, even for those wih experience ... and accidents here often don't allow for second chances.

While it's fine to push the limits and challenge your endurance and fortitude against the elements, one must always be aware of the potential downside as well. It's important to constantly be aware of the situation and, as such, be prepared to make responsible decisions. And especially when working in a team environment, even if the quest is in the pursuit of worthy goals, one must always realize that the decisions that are made, the actions that are taken, will directly impact the potential safety of the people around you.

As of last night after a group meeting, half the team was willing to carry on and the rest had come to the conclusion that they had reached their limit. After the latest card dealt this morning with the news of increased high risk of avalanches, the team's new consensus was to turn around and start making their way down and off the mountain as most other teams have already done. Mount Logan will always be there. And just as happened with Mount Columbia in Alberta, the team can always come back again under better circumstances to make a safer attempt for a successful bid for the summit.

Best wishes and the support of friends, family, teachers and students from across the country and around the world go out to the team for a safe descent of the mountain.