A lucky break in the weather was all that kept a skier from spending Sunday night stranded on a cliff near Cypress Mountain resort.
The man lost both his skis and ended up stranded on the east side of Hollyburn Peak Sunday afternoon. He was uninjured, but unable to walk out on his own, according Simon Jackson, search manager for North Shore Rescue.
A large amount of fresh snow in the area contributed to high avalanche risk, and weather conditions made it difficult to launch a rescue helicopter, Jackson said.
NSR sent a field team to the area above the stranded skier to assess the situation, and a break in the weather allowed them to fly a helicopter up and retrieve him.
Rescuers said the man was fortunate that the helicopter was able to fly. In different conditions, it could have taken 10 hours or more to rescue him. Crews said the skier was not prepared to spend the night on the mountain.
With more snow expected on Monday, Jackson said skiers and hikers should use caution when traversing the North Shore mountains.
“Anyone out recreating in those conditions needs to be aware we might not be able to come out and get them,” he said.
