Clearing weather could aid search for missing climbers near Squamish

Rescue crews are hoping the clouds blanketing the Squamish, B.C., area will clear Wednesday afternoon, allowing the search to resume for three missing mountaineers.

The climbers failed to return from Garibaldi Provincial Park on Friday, but a mix of low visibility and dangerous avalanche conditions have hampered rescue efforts over recent days.

Sea to Sky RCMP said things could be looking up on Wednesday, however, when there is said to be a "clearing trend" in the forecast.

That could create a window that would allow search and rescue crews to conduct an aerial assessment of the scene.

"We have our highly specialized team members on standby ready to respond," said BJ Chute, manager at Squamish Search and Rescue, in a statement. "We are working with avalanche technicians who will be assessing the risks as we are facing winter conditions in the area."

The mountaineers set out last week to scale Atwell Peak, a technically challenging and potentially dangerous climb at high elevation. Chute told CTV News the missing climbers are believed to have extensive experience and are likely carrying the appropriate equipment for their expedition.

While the search is underway, authorities have asked the public to keep away from Garibaldi Mountain and the Atwell Peak area to avoid disrupting the search effort.

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Ben Miljure