Frankie Cordeira Jr.

Description: EARTHQUAKES LEAVE CLIMBER TRAPPED ON CANADA'S HIGHEST PEAK... The series of earthquakes that struck northern B.C. and the Yukon this week has trapped an experienced mountain climber on the highest peak in the country. Natalia Martinez an Argentinian woman whose partner lives in Vancouver was nine days into a solo climb of Mount Logan when the quakes hit on Monday. Martinez who was at an altitude of nearly 4000 metres was forced to retreat part way down the mountain to a previous camp location on more stable terrain. "She's on a knife edge ridge" said Sian Williams a friend who works for the air touring company that dropped Martinez off. "She's in a safe area where she is right now but to move up or down would be quite dangerous for her at this time." Martinez is on a technical route that requires crampons and ice axes Williams said and Mondays earthquakes triggered multiple avalanches that left much of her surrounding area unstable. She is unharmed but it's expected she will have to wait a few days for the weather to clear before she can be airlifted out by a helicopter. Williams said Parks Canada will be coordinating the rescue. Mount Logan is the second-highest peak in North America after Alaska's Denali and Williams said people usually attempt the climb in groups but some do head up alone. Prior to heading up in late April Martinez had been in the area on scientific expeditions and Williams believes she is well-equipped to take care of herself. "She has the skills to make the right decisions in the situation" she said. "I'm concerned for her but I'm less concerned for her than I would be for other people." Martinez's partner Camilo Rada is a PhD student at the University of British Columbia. They have been in contact through a satellite phone. With a report from CTV Vancouver's Nafeesa Karim
By Frankie Cordeira Jr.
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