You thought Rock Climbing was hard? Well, introducing rock climbing’s dangerous cousin, Ice Climbing. Slippery slopes, icy winds, precarious holds. Something is bound to go wrong sometime, right? It just so happens, something did go wrong. Recently, the treacherous sport of Ice Climbing claimed the life of a beloved climber, Zach Milligan.

The accident that took place in the Canadian Rockies, proved to be fatal, with the climber succumbing to his injuries. Milligan was a notable name in the climbing community, and his passing has created a despondent stir amongst the community, and the world at large.

Ice Climbing hazard claims the life of a famous climber

Zach Milligan passed away at the age of 42 after a climbing accident took away his life. Milligan was a known name in the climbing club, especially due to the fact that he stayed in a cave located in Yosemite National Park for 13 long years. The climber’s body was retrieved from the bottom of a cliff in Polar Circus.

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Gripped Climbing Magazine reported that the climber was found after a call was received, informing about an abandoned car in the parking lot. Parks Canada’s Visitor Safety team immediately sent a drone to recon the area. This is when the climber’s body was discovered. Sgt. Susan Richter of the Lake Louise RCMP said, “They found what appeared to be the deceased person at the bottom of a cliff in that area.” This is, unfortunately, not the first time that the Polar Circus, located on Cirrus Mountain in Jasper National Park, has claimed a life. It has happened before.

In 1982, John Lauchlan, the renowned ice climber, met his demise while trying his hand at a solo ascent. In 2015, Mark Salesse died in an avalanche. He was a Royal Canadian Air Force Search and Rescue Technician. Polar Circus has been surrounded by tragedy. The loss of the skilled free soloist, is a huge hit to his friends, family, and the community at large. Many of his friends, along with his family, have come forward to pay their respect to the fallen climber.

Tributes to the climbing veteran

Chris Van Leuven, Zach Milligan’s climbing partner, and his close friend paid homage to the late climber by commemorating his “insatiable love for adventure.” Van Leuven wrote a story about his friend Milligan, titled, Thirteen Years in a Cave in Yosemite: Half Dome Skier Zach Milligan. In the story, Van Leuven wrote, “For Zach, soloing is moving meditation.” Milligan’s friend also wrote about his achievements in the story, apprising the world of the fact that Milligan had speed-soloed the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome, in 2 hours and 37 minutes.

Van Leuven also shared a Facebook post from Milligan’s sister, Martha Milligan Hart. She wrote, “He was a world-class climber, incredible alpine skier, gifted musician, wicked smart; he could tell a wildly entertaining story and make almost anything funny. He will be missed more deeply than there are words.” One thing is for sure, Milligan died doing what he loved. But that does not make this loss any easier.