Scrambler Dies on Mount Fable in Canadian Rockies

A missing scrambler has been found deceased on Mount Fable near Exshaw in the Bow Valley west of Calgary. Canmore RCMP said they received a call that Trina Ramanaden, 44, was overdue on June 21 at 8:30 p.m. She had been part of a large group when she chose to take a different, more difficult trail on her own.

The group didn’t hear from Ramanaden after she separated and she was not responding to calls. When the group returned to their cars and saw the other hiker’s vehicle was still there they called Kananaskis Emergency Services (KES) for assistance.

KES Public Safety conducted an air search of the area and located the body on the side of the mountain. It appears that the she had taken a significant fall and passed away from injuries.

Ramanaden appeared in a number of Canadian-made TV shows, including Tom Stone and The Reapers, was a member of the Calgary salsa dancing community, and she worked at the Calgary Board of Education.

Mount Fable has a popular 20-kilometre out and back trail that follows a creek, ascends through thick bush and finishes up scree. It’s located in the Fairholme Range and is rated as moderate and considered technical with an exposed ridge.

The peak also has a number of technical rock routes, including two 5.5 ridge climbs and a route up the south face called The Boulevard, first climbed in 1988 by Steve DeMaio that goes at 5.10a. It was named Fable by the first ascent party in reference to a story about heavy bush causing a prior attempt to fail, which they considered a fable.

The fatality was one of nearly 15 incidents that KES responded to this past weekend, including several traumatic injuries Yamnuska. The majority of the injuries happened when scramblers were descending trails. Search and rescue crews have been busier than normal since covid lockdowns were lifted.

Last week, alpine climber Travis TenHove died while climbing Shooting Gallery on Mount Andromeda on the Columbia Icefield. A fundraiser has been started to support his wife and young son, see here for more.

Our condolences to Trina Ramanaden’s friends and family.