Weather delays search for climber

Bad weather in southwestern Alaska has delayed the air search for a British Columbia man and his climbing companion near Juneau.

Twenty- four- year old MarcAndre Leclerc of Squamish and his 34-year-old climbing partner Ryan Johnson of Juneau were climbing the Mendenhall Towers.

A search began last week when the pair of experienced climbers didn’t return by Wednesday, the same day a significant snowstorm battered the area.

Megan Peters, a spokeswoman for the Alaska State Troopers, says if the weather allows, a helicopter would try to reach the north side of the Mendenhall Towers some time on Monday.

Poor weather Friday and Saturday hampered the air search, but a helicopter crew was able to fly over the south side of the towers on Sunday before the weather closed in again.

A family friend says Leclerc has been praised as an accomplished and careful climber, so the family is hopeful he and Johnson are waiting out the storm in a cave.

Treya Klassen, a close friend of Leclerc’s father, said the young man has had his eye on climbing Mendenhall Towers for years.

“He’s seasoned to do this. He’s trained to be able to survive a lot. He trained, so hopefully he’s holed up in a cave, waiting out a storm,” she said.

Peters said rescue efforts remain dependent on the weather.