Hikers rescued near Tofino after finding themselves unprepared for lingering snow

Courtenay, B.C. -

It may be scorching hot, but rescuers say climbers still need to be prepared for snow at higher elevations on Vancouver Island.

The warning came Sunday morning after rescuers had to hoist two stuck hikers off of Triple Peaks, near Tofino.

“They weren’t injured or anything, but they didn’t have the right gear to be moving through the terrain that they were in,” says Comox Valley Search and Rescue’s Marc Lyster.

Lyster says members of the Mountain Rescue Team and hoist teams travelled by helicopter to the west coast of the island to assist West Coast Search and Rescue.

The hikers ran into difficulties late in the day Saturday while coming back down the peak. Search crews say the duo didn’t have the proper equipment.

“We found it easier to do a hoist because they were in some pretty steep terrain,” Lyster says. “(We) performed the hoist and got the two out and got them to their camp,”

Treks to Triple Peak are rated as hard according to reviews on alltrails.com. The terrain is listed as being as 813 metres and for advanced hikers only.

Lyster says the hikers appeared to have had rock climbing experience and gear, but weren’t prepared for the snow.

“Some people think because it’s so warm out there’s no snow left,” Lyster says. “Up high in the mountains, there is still snow, and they weren’t prepared for the snow. Definitely some snow in the gullies, any of the travel routes still had snow on (them). The lake that they were staying at that was below where they were was still frozen.”

Lyster says the duo made the correct decision in calling for help when they found themselves stuck on the peak.