Another piece fell off the Stawamus Chief at approximately 11:40 a.m. Friday during scaling efforts.
The dust cloud from the rockfall caused some excitement in the community, but officials say there’s no cause for worry.
“It's a false alarm – it is just the scaling,” confirmed a District of Squamish representative, speaking on behalf of emergency program coordinator Alexis Craig.
Global Rock Works is conducting scaling on the Chief Friday and will be there again Monday, the company has confirmed. “We are doing work up there, so it is controlled,” said a representative.
Company spokesperson Elaiza Datar said an engineer will examine the site again Tuesday to confirm that all necessary work has been completed.
The scaling work, which Global Rock Works began in May, follows a large rockslide that occurred on the Chief on April 19. More rockfall can be expected until the scaling work is complete early next week, Datar said.
“We were brought in to do some more touch-ups on the scaling job that we were doing a few weeks ago,” she explained.
Datar said to keep people away from the rockfall, the Mamquam Forest Service Road will be closed at times until the work is complete.
Andrew Sheppard, a new supervisor with the company who has extensive experience in rock scaling, “reckons that this is the highest rock scaling job that has been done in Canada,” she said.
The work is being conducted 700 metres above sea level but many on the crew are experienced climbers who also work with Search and Rescue, so there is no danger, Datar said. “We would never send our technicians on a job that would put their lives at risk…. We are confident that it is completely safe.”
She said the public can still access hiking and climbing on other parts of the Chief while the work continues. “Stay safe and enjoy the other side of the Chief where most of the climbing and hiking is happening anyway,” said Datar.
