Weather continues to hamper search for overdue climbers in Garibaldi Park

With a rainfall warning in effect for the Squamish area, mountain peaks are shrouded in heavy cloud – severely hampering search and rescue efforts to locate three mountaineers who did not return from Garibaldi Park as planned on Friday.

The weather is also responsible for dangerous avalanche conditions in the alpine where the three were last known to be.

They set out to scale Atwell Peak, a technically challenging and potentially dangerous climb at high elevation with an unstable snowpack.

"It's unrealistic to send people into technical terrain such as this with a high avalanche hazard when we can't see above us and mitigate any of those avalanche hazards," said Squamish Search and Rescue volunteer BJ Chute.

The search is considered active and ongoing with helicopter crews on standby.

When it is deemed safe, ground crews will be airlifted into the alpine to conduct an extensive ground search.

"The bags are packed and the guys are ready to go at a moment's notice should the weather improve and give us an opportunity to get up into a helicopter and fly," said Chute. "When that happens, we simply don't know."

According to Chute, the missing climbers are believed to have extensive experience and skills and the appropriate equipment for the expedition they attempted.

The weather is not expected to improve until sometime Tuesday, or possibly early Wednesday, so it may take until then for search crews to gain access to the area where the missing trio might be.

In the meantime, the physical condition of those in the missing group remains unknown.