Climber who died in banff had passion for outdoors
An Ontario man who fell in love with the Canadian Rockies has been identified as the climber who fell to his death on Tunnel Mountain.
Matt Snell, 26, was climbing with a friend on Friday when he fell 25 to 40 metres while descending the Le Soulier rock face near the Banff townsite where he lived.
The climber accompanying Snell became stranded and was brought to safety by rescuers.
Family and friends said Snell was an avid outdoorsman and photographer.
In a Facebook post, his parents, Sandra and Dwayne Snell, said a visit to Alberta in 2014 left him enchanted with the province’s natural beauty.
He returned the following year and stayed, making Banff his home in 2017 where he’d taken a job with Parks Canada.
The grieving parents had bittersweet words for how their son lived and died in his beloved mountains.
“We want to call this mountain a beast for taking our son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, friend to so many,” they wrote. “But we can’t. Matthew loved these mountains. These majestic beauties.”
They said he was a capable climber, though he’d only taken up the activity recently.
“He knew the ropes. We have been told he practised his knots regularly,” they said.
“He loved the challenge ... but this passion is what would steal him from us.”
During their visits to Banff, they ’d also been impressed by how his new home had inspired an affinity for nature.
“When we visited we easily saw his respect for nature and wildlife. He educated us,” they wrote.
“He was our hiking guide. He opened up our eyes to be so grateful for all this natural beauty.”
Snell had become a noted photographer, capturing images of the Rockies, said Meghan Ward, who worked on promoting his work.
“He was a highly respected photographer at a young age,” she said.
“He really found a passion for life in the mountains and embraced everything they had to offer.”
She said Snell had been chosen to contribute his work to a photo album being assembled by Crowfoot Media: Canadian Rockies Annual, Volume 3.
One of the last images he captured last week was of Peyto Lake in Banff National Park.
“A photographer’s paradise ... still have so many images to take a look at once this busy week ends,” Snell wrote in the photo caption.
A celebration of Snell’s life will take place Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Banff Ave. Brewing Co.