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Hiker dies after slipping, falling from mountain in Banff National Park

Mounties say a hiker has died after he slipped on a patch of snow and ice in Banff National Park.
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Smoke haze from forest fires burning in Alberta and British Columbia hangs over Banff, Alta., in Banff National Park, Friday, July 21, 2017. Visitors to Banff National Park in Alberta will soon have to reserve a spot for a shuttle bus to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Mounties say a hiker has died after he slipped on a patch of snow and ice in Banff National Park.

Police, fire rescue and Parks Canada responded to a call shortly before noon Saturday about a man who had fallen from Mount Temple near Lake Louise, Alta.

They say the man was with a group of experienced hikers when he lost his footing.

With the help of a Parks Canada helicopter, police say the man was located about 1,000 metres from the initial site of his fall.

Mount Temple, a well-known peak above Lake Louise village, is described on the Parks Canada website as a technical route up the main face and a moderate scramble on the southwest side of the mountain.

It also notes that route conditions are best after the winter snow has melted completely off the peak, which usually happens by mid-July — although officials have said there’s a late snowpack this year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 11, 2022.