Rescuers say three West Vancouver men have been found uninjured after they had to spend a night in the North Shore mountains when they got lost on a hike.
Paul Markey, a volunteer search manager with North Shore Rescue, says the three brothers — aged 29, 31 and 34 — were healthy and fit but did not properly research and pack for the hike up Coliseum Mountain.
He is urging hikers to pack head lamps and navigation aids before heading into backcountry, especially at this time of year when warm days can turn into cool nights much earlier.
According to AllTrails, Coliseum Mountain is a challenging 22-kilometre hike that takes on average more than eight hours there and back from Lynn Headwaters park — but Markey said it often takes about 10 hours.
He said the rescued hikers set out too late on Sunday — about 1 p.m. — and got lost when the sun set.
“It’s very summer-like, but it’s September, so it gets dark significantly earlier now,” he said.
Data from Environment Canada shows the sun sets in the Vancouver area just before 8 p.m. PT in early September.
Hikers pressed on despite advice
According to Markey, about three hours into their hike the men ran into a group of park rangers who were patrolling the route. Markey said the rangers advised the men they would not be able to make it to the peak and back before sundown — but the hikers persisted.
They made it to the peak just before sunset, and started descending at about 7:30 p.m.
But as the light dwindled, the hikers found it difficult to follow the trail back.
Markey said the men accidentally took the wrong trail. One of them managed to call 911, and search and rescue were informed just after 9:30 p.m.
Because it was a relatively warm night and no one was injured, the hikers were advised to hunker down until sunrise, Markey said.
“It’s pitch black…. It’s treacherous up there, There are some huge steep cliffs, so if you get off trail, you’re going to get into serious trouble pretty quickly,” he said.
Around 6 a.m. Monday, the hikers called again to say they were having trouble finding the trail down, and the call suddenly cut out. Markey said rescue crews were then dispatched.
Update: The hikers have been located and all subjects and rescuers are safely out of the field.
—@NSRescue
Markey said a rescue team eventually found the hikers walking down the Seymour Valley Trailway.
North Shore Rescue is reminding hikers to bring head lamps, extra layers and communication devices with them. It says hikers should carry a dedicated GPS unit and not rely on a cellphone.
“Cell batteries drain extremely quickly when in the outdoors, as in areas of low [or] no reception, your phone increases power trying to get a signal,” the service said in a post to social media. “Combined with usage for mapping programs and use as a light source, cell batteries simply do not last long.”