CALGARY — A 33-year-old Calgary man died after separating from his friends to take a more difficult route while hiking in Banff National Park on Saturday.The man had travelled to the Lake Louise area with friends to hike the Big Beehive and Devil’s Thumb, according to Lake Louise RCMP detachment commander Sgt. Susan Richter.“He was a pretty experienced hiker and was travelling at a faster pace than some of his friends,” Richter said.While returning from Devil’s Thumb, the man decided to take a different and more advanced trail. His friends were uncomfortable with the route and remained on the more commonly used trail. The group agreed to reunite at the end of the hike.When the man failed to arrive and did not answer his phone, his friends reported him missing.“Parks Canada visitor safety went to look for him using a helicopter,” Richter said. “They could see from the air that it appeared that he had fallen down a cliff and he appeared deceased.”.Missing 81-year-old B.C. hiker found dead in Waterton Lakes National Park.RCMP and Parks Canada later recovered his body.The fatality was the second hiking-related death in Banff National Park in less than a week.A 24-year-old Jasper man died after falling from Recondite Peak on September 9. He had entered the backcountry Monday and remained in regular contact with family and friends through a satellite communication device.“His last message was sent out Tuesday around 6 p.m.,” Richter said. “When family still didn’t hear from him by the next day and his GPS co-ordinates didn’t change, they reported him missing.”His last known GPS location placed him near Recondite Peak. Parks Canada crews searched the area by helicopter and spotted evidence that he had fallen.“At that point, Parks Canada reached out to RCMP and we worked together for the investigation and recovery,” Richter said.Richter said five other hiking-related fatalities have been recorded in Banff National Park so far this year.A 47-year-old woman died while hiking Mount Bryant in June. A 65-year-old man died on Mount Temple in July, while a woman in her 20s died after falling from Marvel Peak later that month.Two more women died in separate incidents in August — one on Mount Yamnuska and another on Tent Ridge.
