The Bow Glacier Tragedy: Reflecting on the Banff Rockslide
On June 19 at around 1 p.m., Parks Canada responded to a report of a significant rockfall near Bow Glacier Falls, located just west of Bow Lake along the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93N), roughly 37 kilometres north of Lake Louise in Banff National Park, Alberta.
The slide tragically claimed the lives of two hikers—Calgarian Jutta Hinrichs and Moroccan Hamza Benhilal—and injured over a dozen others, with several people requiring evacuation by STARS Air Ambulance.
This triggered a major rescue operation involving RCMP, Parks Canada, Canada Task Force teams, drones, search dogs and infrared-equipped aircraft. The trail was subsequently closed, and a temporary no-fly zone was established as geotechnical experts evaluated the stability of the cliff face.
Weeks after the incident, I spoke with Kamala Dixon, who was there that day. She was on her way up Mount Jimmy Simpson when the slide struck. After deploying her Garmin SOS device, she went to help hikers caught in the slide. “It honestly was like a 9/11 moment where what’s happening didn’t seem remotely real,” she told me.
She stayed on the scene where she put her first aid knowledge to use to help hurt hikers until Search and Rescue arrived—55 minutes after she first sent the SOS. It was less than an hour—but what felt like a lifetime, according to Dixon—and later, she learned the response would’ve taken much longer if she hadn’t sent the distress call right away.
As Dixon found out, carrying a GPS device can be lifesaving, but just as important is having the training and gear to help yourself and others, because rescue might not always come quickly.
According to Parks Canada, Bow Glacier Falls will remain closed for public safety with no estimated reopening date. While access to Bow Lake and the trail to the Bow Hut has reopened, the agency emphasized that this type of incident was both unpredictable and unpreventable.
We can never truly know what the outdoors will throw at us. There are always risks, and in the aftermath of tragedy, it’s important to remember that blame has no place out there.
“Geotechnical assessments indicate that this tragic rockfall was the result of a natural erosion process common in mountain areas,” says James Eastham, public relations and communications officer at Parks Canada. “Safety is our top priority, and Parks Canada will take time to consider all options before making decisions related to the reopening of the area.”
Precautions and Preparedness in Rockfall-Prone Terrain
Recently, when choosing where to hike with my young son in Kananaskis Country, I felt a flicker of unease. The news of the rockslide at Bow Glacier Falls was still fresh in my mind. I deliberately chose a trail with low risk of that kind: I found a trail that was well established, did not travel through any gullies or sections of loose rock and with a gentle incline.
In that moment, I couldn’t help but question whether I should be taking him into rocky terrain at all. The fear of injury—or worse—felt more present than it had in years.
Rockfall is a danger that should always be considered when entering mountainous areas. Hikers should move quickly through zones where the risk is higher. For scramblers, climbers and mountaineers, helmets are essential. Turn off your music and leave your headphones behind so you are always able to hear the sound of falling rocks.
Stay alert for rumbling, crashing or sharp snapping or cracking sounds. If you can, identify the direction of the rockfall and move out of its path. If escape isn’t possible, stay low to the ground or press close to the side of a gully or wall, and protect your head. And if you accidentally dislodge a rock, always shout ‘rock’ to warn anyone who might be below.
It’s also important to watch the weather. Recent heavy rain or melting snow can destabilize rocks and increase the likelihood of a slide.
According to Eastham, additional safety steps include planning shorter breaks behind natural rock bluffs or faces to reduce risk-time, taking longer rests near ridgelines and crossing gullies swiftly while avoiding prolonged time in them.
Carrying a well-stocked first aid kit, emergency blanket, extra layers, food, water and hiking poles (which can be used for splinting) can also make a significant difference if you’re present during a serious incident. Always carry an SOS device if you will be in areas without cell reception, and know how to use it. Dixon immediately activated hers upon seeing hikers caught in the slide, ensuring Search and Rescue arrived as quickly as possible.
It’s easy to fall into the mindset of “that won’t happen to me,” or to believe that a helmet wouldn’t have helped in a rockslide of this magnitude. But the truth is, rockfall can happen suddenly, with little warning, and even the most inconsequential looking slides (or a single falling rock) can cause serious harm.
I’ll never forget my first experience with rockfall in the mountains.
My dad and I were tackling the steep, chossy gully leading up to the Abbott’s Pass Hut in Alberta, a route he had grimly dubbed “the scree slope from hell.” Partway through our scramble, a handful of rocks suddenly whizzed past our (helmet-protected) heads. They weren’t large, but they were moving fast. Fast enough to do serious damage.
That’s when he told me that rockfall is one of the greatest dangers climbers and hikers face in the mountains. That even the most seasoned mountaineer isn’t immune.
While I’ve remained aware of this risk as I began venturing into the mountains solo, it never really felt like something I had to worry about on a simple hike. That tragic day in June changed that perception. Now, I’m more alert, even when just walking an alpine trail.
It’s tempting to view any of these precautions as futile in the face of such tragedies, but they could be the difference between life and death. “None of the victims could ever know how such a perfect day could fall apart,” says Dixon, “but I feel with this year’s rainfall, fast changing weather and waterflow, we can expect a lot of movement in our Rockies, and we should do what we can to be prepared.”
Carrying a headlamp, staying aware of freeze-thaw cycles and choosing trails that avoid rockfall-prone areas are all key ways hikers can stay prepared in this kind of terrain. Always keep an eye uphill for loose rocks and stick to established trails, avoiding unstable or loose rock whenever possible.
Dixon has continued to head out to the mountains in the aftermath of the slide: “the mountains are still somewhere I go to reset and reboot,” she says, “I’m just a little less complacent.”
When I look at my son, hiking up the trail, it’s what I’m teaching him too. It’s not about learning to fear this terrain, but about being as safe as we possibly can when adventuring here, in these wild, unpredictable places we are inexplicably drawn to.
It’s something I’ll be keeping in mind every time I venture into the mountains from now on, along with the memory of Hinrichs and Benhilal, who were simply doing what so many of us love: exploring the beautiful landscapes of the Canadian Rockies.
