Ice climber killed in fall remembered for ‘charm’
The victim of a fatal fall on Cascade Mountain in Banff on Christmas Day is being remembered by his family and co-workers for his zest for life, charm and quirky sense of humour.
Ice climber Carl Hawkins, 26, died when he fell while soloing on a popular ice climbing route.
Banff RCMP said they responded to a 911 call about 11 a.m. on Dec. 25 of a sudden death of a male ice-climbing on a popular route on the Cascade Falls.
“He was pronounced deceased on scene, and the initial investigation revealed he had succumbed to his injuries which were the result of falling a significant distance down the ice climb,” said Banff RCMP.
Hawkins worked at Valhalla Pure
His zest for life, quirky sense of humour and all-around charm were something truly special.
Outfitters on Main Street in Canmore, and lived in his van behind the Save- On-Foods grocery store.
“It is with great sadness that we share that on December 25, 2018, Carl Hawkins, beloved son, brother, partner, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend to so many, was fatally injured in a climbing accident in Banff, Alberta,” said a statement from the Hawkins family.
Banff RCMP said last week the matter remained under investigation and they were looking into possible causes, because that may be of significant interest to prevent a similar tragedy among the climbing community. Police also said they were looking into the type and condition of the equipment used.
According to the Valhalla Pure Outfitters Canmore Facebook page, a friend of the Hawkins family has started a GoFundMe to help his parents with some of their costs and to give them an opportunity to memorialize him.
“It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of a beloved member of our Valhalla family on December 25th. Carl was a passionate climber, van dweller and a great friend. His zest for life, quirky sense of humour and all around charm were something truly special. He will be greatly missed.”
Soloing is a style of climbing in which the climber climbs alone, without the assistance of a belay, relying entirely on his or her physical abilities.
Cascade Falls is a 300-metre climb which can be seen from the highway while driving west to Banff from Calgary. It is popular because the approach takes less than 10 minutes. Many climbers have died on the route in the past. It is not considered by climbers to be a hard route, but one that has a lot of exposure to avalanche threat.
This death adds to the deaths recorded in the Canadian Rockies in 2018, including a rock climber on Yamnuska, a rock climber on Tunnel Mountain, a hiker on the east end of Rundle Mountain, a hiker near Rawson Lake and a hiker in Kananaskis Country.