Skier triggers, survives size 2 avalanche by Lake Louise ski area: Parks Canada
Posted Jan 21, 2026 9:43 am.
A skier is alive after being swept up in a size two avalanche just outside the Lake Louise ski area in Banff National Park on Tuesday.
Parks Canada says the skier triggered the slide on a backcountry run called the “Vortex,” a west-facing slope at 2450 metres elevation.
They were swept to the bottom, buried to their waist, and lost both skis. However, they were not seriously hurt.
Rangers say the avalanche was a deep, persistent slab that failed near the ground, on a layer of facets formed near a crust in November.
Avalanche Canada says a size two slide is large enough to bury or kill a person.
Parks Canada is reminding backcountry users that avalanches can happen at any time on steep terrain.
Information on daily avalanche reports can be found online.
