One of the three men who died in an avalanche after reaching Atwell Peak in Garibaldi Provincial Park in May was a former University of Victoria biology student and rower.
Chris Gulka, 27, lived in Langley and was from Kennewick, Washington. During his time at UVic, he participated in the Canadian University Rowing Championships in 2018-19.
Funds are being collected through a to support a celebration of life event for Gulka and Jon Büchner, one of the other victims, in addition to supporting Squamish Search and Rescue — which led the five-week search to find the men.
The third mountaineer has not been publicly named.
Family and friends hope to raise $10,000, with at least $5,000 going to the search-and-rescue team “for their exceptional service and support over the course of the search and recovery period,” the fundraising page said.
“Our community is devastated by this loss,” the page said. “These young men embodied the spirit of adventure, resilience, and camaraderie that defines the mountain community in the Lower Mainland of sa国际传媒 They were not just climbers. Their love of life and warm hearts touched many lives, both within the climbing and outdoor communities, as well as in their work and personal lives.”
Squamish Search and Rescue was notified by police after the men failed to return from the mountain the evening after they reached the summit. Several searchers were able to hike into the shelter at Elfin Lakes, but struggled to access the remote area surrounding Atwell Peak as a storm moved in.
Over the next several days, efforts to fly into the area were hampered by rain and fog. The Squamish team had assistance from a military helicopter, search and rescue crews from Whistler and the North Shore, as well as a drone, but all were eventually grounded.
Squamish rescue team leader B.J. Chute told media it was “still winter in the mountains.”
The weather turned around a few days later, with rising temperatures kicking off spring snowmelt. Helicopters were able to get a clear view of the peak about a week after the men’s disappearance.
North Shore Rescue air operations co-ordinator John Blown told Postmedia that crews saw evidence of avalanche activity, as snow on the cliff faces around the peak had started to soften and shift, but no sign of the men.
At 2,655 metres, Atwell Peak is known as a summit with no easy way up and is usually climbed in winter, when snow covers the loose volcanic rock on its steep faces.
Online trip reports say the standard route involves several hundred metres of snow climbing at a 45-degree angle. Several cornices — shelves of snow — usually overhang a steep precipice near the top.
Information posted on a website that tracks successful summits shows Gulka reached the top of Atwell Peak on May 31.
As the search entered a different phase, Squamish Search and Rescue scoured aerial footage, including drone footage of the area, for clues.
More than a month after they went missing, the bodies of the three mountaineers were recovered on July 8.
Both Gulka and Büchner, also from Langley, were experienced mountaineers and well known in sa国际传媒’s close-knit climbing community, with several difficult ascents to their names.
Gulka was almost finished his training to be a paramedic, and had many pictures of his mountain adventures posted on Instagram, YouTube and the website .
Büchner was a professional photographer, taking stunning photos of snowy peaks and dense forests.
A celebration of life is planned for August to pay tribute to the men’s “remarkable spirits, amazing adventures and outstanding characters.”
