Guy Lacelle Dies in Bozeman

[G-spotter]

http://supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=1032804&tn=0

 

What a sad day.

 

Guy was the Ice Master. No one else was close.

[Zoran]

Great loss for his family and world's climbing community. He was from Ontario but picked Northern BC to be his home. Extraordinary talented ice climber.

:-(

Edited December 11, 2009 by Zoran

[hafilax]

As I mentioned in the ST thread I crossed paths with him tree planting. An amazing person and a sad loss.

[wdietsch]

... the Ice Master. No one else was close.

 

well said ... this really blows

[JosephH]

I'm not familiar with the Grotto Wall or Hyalite Canyon so can't understand how this could have happened during a comp. Maybe John Frieh, who's been there a bunch, could help us understand how the comp was in harm's way from an avalanche.

[G-spotter]

It's a comp where you run around the area and try and climb as many routes as possible. News report says Lacelle was caught in an avalanche while traversing between two routes. His partner was at the edge of the slide and was slightly injured.

[robpatterson5]

Wow, a real personal inspiration, one of the nicest guys, a living legend - my best wishes are with his family.

[glassgowkiss]

Will Gadd: Guy Lacelle died in an avalanche today in Bozeman. He was a good man. We were going to Japan together this winter, I'm really sorry we won't get to do that trip 'cause it would have been fun. So many Guy memories, but most of all he was a good human I was proud to know and climb with.

[dan_e]

Huge loss, a truly gifted ice climber.

 

I just checked some of his ice solos, like Fearful Symmetry. I can't even fathom what it would be like to have the mental focus to solo a route like that. It's so true that you never know when your times up. I mean after all of those super hard ice solos he get's killed while using a rope, go figure...

[Mercyful Fate]

sad news to here this.

 

the man that soloed all 3 big routes on Mt. Rundle in a day.

 

Peace.

[Don_Serl]

awww, SHIT!!! like Will says, a superb person, low-keyed but remarkably talented and highly motivated. damn... that hurts...

[ScaredSilly]

Wow sad news.

 

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/breakingnews/79012497.html

 

[JosephH]

It's a comp where you run around the area and try and climb as many routes as possible. News report says Lacelle was caught in an avalanche while traversing between two routes. His partner was at the edge of the slide and was slightly injured.

An avalanche from where? Are you saying the comp areas were buried as well?

[genepires]

Another icon lost.......damn it.

[G-spotter]

The whole drainage is the comp area - it's not like there is a little crag like Ouray, the comp is in the whole drainage with hundreds of routes scattered around the hillsides and canyons.

[Bronco]

From the GNACF website:

 

"AVALANCHE FATALITY

Yesterday in Hyalite Canyon a world renowned Canadian ice climber, Guy Lacelle, was killed in an avalanche. He and his partner had finished the climb Silken Falls and were hiking up a narrow drainage to a higher climb when two other climbers above them triggered a pocket of wind drifted snow that ran down the gully. His partner was off to the side, but Guy was hit and carried off the climb to his death. Our sympathies and condolences go out to his family and friends, many of whom are in town for the Bozeman Ice Festival this weekend."

 

A little more info here: http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2009/12/11/news/000avy.txt

 

 

Sad.

 

Edited December 11, 2009 by Bronco

[BigSky]

The whole drainage is the comp area - it's not like there is a little crag like Ouray, the comp is in the whole drainage with hundreds of routes scattered around the hillsides and canyons.

Yup...not a lot of spectating going on up there on the comp day(s). Condolences to friends and family.

[Peakpimp]

How awful, a true inspiration, may he rest in peace.

[PaulB]

 

Soloing the big three Trophy Wall routes in a day always stood out in my mind as a massively impressive achievement.

 

I've met folks from the Prince George section of the ACC who told me that Guy would sometimes help with their weekend ice climbing clinics. As the rope gun for setting top ropes he would casually mention to his belayers before starting up, "don't be alarmed if I don't put in any screws".

[Choada_Boy]

Shitty news. He was an inspiration.

 

A toast! To Guy!!!

[LostCamKenny]

condolences to his family... what a tragedy!

[glassgowkiss]

Looks like a small slide took him down and tossed him over some cliffs.

[cbcbd]

Amazing climber. Just a shame.

 

Interesting video putting more of a "face" to what happened.

 

[JoshK]

Very sad to hear. I've been in the canyon a few times and there are definitely lots of spots you don't want to be. R.I.P Guy.

[crackers]

I'm not familiar with the Grotto Wall or Hyalite Canyon so can't understand how this could have happened during a comp.

 

I was in Bozeman for the Festival. John Frieh was actually in the invitation competition, but was miles away in the back of the drainage. I'll let him write anything more for himself when he wakes up or feels like it.

 

People do this competition by running around the entire drainage of Hyalite canyon -- it's more area than Smith Rock -- and climbing as many routes as possible. As many *hard* routes as possible.

 

Much of Hyalite canyon was loaded with wind blown snow, but I think that it surprised everybody how unstable it was. After finishing one route, Guy and his partner were moving uphill to another climb. The snow they were walking on released. It carried Guy over the (two pitch) climb that they had just finished. When first responders got there, they found him dead.

Edited December 14, 2009 by crackers