Skier dies on backcountry trail in Kananaskis Country

A skier has died on a backcountry trail in KananaskisCountry.

It happened near the Robertson Glacier on Monday.

RCMP say the 40-year-old man, from Invermere, British Columbia,was skiing with three friends when a whiteout hit and the group was separated.

TheKananaskis Country Public Safety Team, which is a rescue service that operates through Alberta Environment and Parks, says it responded to the fatality around 2:30 p.m.

Alpine Helicopters also responded.

Officials say the man's skis bottomed out and that due to low snow coverage and other related hazards, he was pitched forward into a rocky area, where he suffered severe trauma.

The man was not wearing a helmet.

There is only 10 to 30 centimetres of snowat the treeline, which the rescue team says increases the chance of hitting something and getting injured.

The team also warns thatmembers witnessed loose dry avalanches in that area on Monday and suspect slab development will be an ongoing issue.

"Consequences of being caught in even a small slide would result in injury due to the lack of snow and the chance of a ride over rocky terrain," said the rescue team.