Hope Volunteer Search and Rescue

Hope Volunteer Search and Rescue HSAR is called upon to assist when specialized skills are required or accessibility into backcountry
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Hope SAR responded to another call today on the Markhor to Needle traverse. To begin, we'd like to acknowledge that the ...
08/17/2026

Hope SAR responded to another call today on the Markhor to Needle traverse. To begin, we'd like to acknowledge that the hikers who called for help were well prepared, called when they knew they were in trouble and stayed put until we arrived. We are always happy when people understand their limitations and trust their instincts. Our team was able to access them by hover exit with the help of Valley Helicopters.

We would like to emphasize again that this route is technical and has a good amount of exposure. It has sections that are classified as class 3 to class 4. If you don't know what that means, you probably should not attempt it.

We understand that many of our favorite mountains on the Coq are closed now due to the approaching wildfire, but the Needle ridge and Flatiron are equally beautiful places if you're looking for options in the area. You can get to the junction and choose your comfort level. We also recommend Illal Meadows with the option of Jim Kelly if you're looking for something a little more difficult in the area (easy FSR access behind Needle/Markhor).

And, as always, we strongly recommend that if anyone posts reviews of mountains that are considered scrambles that they include a brief description of the difficulty and skill level required for the route. If you're looking for new places to explore, always research various sources of information and judge accordingly.

We imagine you may not be on the trails today in this smoke, so why don't you come on down to the Hope RCMP detachment, ...
08/15/2026

We imagine you may not be on the trails today in this smoke, so why don't you come on down to the Hope RCMP detachment, enjoy a BBQ and chat with us about staying safe in the backcountry.

Bring you day bag and we can evaluate your supplies and make recommendations.

Check out the other service providers who are here as well and get a tour of the jail šŸ˜³.

08/04/2026

Hope SAR was tasked out today to rescue an injured hiker on Markhor Peak. We are thankful for the assistance of the Chilliwack Search and Rescue CDFL team for their assisting in bringing the subject off the mountain. Also thanks to Valley Helicopters for taking time away from the wildfire work to assist with two flights on this call.

Our team was unable to locate the subject from the air and was dropped off midway down the mountain. They hiked up until they located the subject very near the peak and stabilized him until the CDFL team could fly him down.

A few important lessons. First and foremost, Markhor is a class 3 to class 4 climb. We often see posts on social media of hikers/climbers who have completed this hike and want to share their experiences. We need people to understand that this is a hike that requires some advanced skills. We're happy for people to share their pictures, but it would be great if the posts could include healthy disclaimers as to the difficulty of this hike. And to the casual hikers looking for new mountains to conquer, we strongly recommend a good deal of research before heading out.

People should also be aware that there is not reliable cell service on any of our mountains. It comes and goes, especially on the Coquihalla. We are very thankful that there were other hikers on the mountain today who were able to call for help and give early assistance.

This hiker fell 30 feet but he was thankfully wearing a helmet, which definitely prevented a much more serious injury. Falls on this mountain can very easily have a much different outcome.

And, as always, bring your essentials on every hike, in every season.

We are heartbroken to hear of the passing of a fellow SAR member this weekend. Mike Coyle of Coquitlam SAR leaves a lega...
07/28/2026

We are heartbroken to hear of the passing of a fellow SAR member this weekend. Mike Coyle of Coquitlam SAR leaves a legacy of SAR service after 27 years with his team. Our deepest thoughts are with his family and fellow teammates as they struggle with this sudden loss.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1JNVYNuCB6/

Hope SAR was tasked out last night to rescue three stranded rafters on the Skagit River. After determining that there we...
07/13/2026

Hope SAR was tasked out last night to rescue three stranded rafters on the Skagit River. After determining that there were no injuries, the subjects had started a fire, and that access by land was through dense brush, it was decided that a morning helicopter extraction was the best plan.

The subjects were in good spirits this morning. Their fire was extinguished and the rafters were returned to their camp at Ross lake.

The Skagit River is not in good shape for rafting right now. This is the third call Hope SAR has received this summer for rafting issues on the Skagit. These subjects had already portaged around two other problems on the river since setting off that day, but were met with a massive log jam that could not be crossed. They were able to bushwhacked to the sandbar we picked them up on but land access to the road can be quite far in places like this and the terrain is nearly impassable.

We acknowledge that the trio had essentials with them that allowed them to call for help in a no-cell-service area and to keep themselves warm and safe during the night. They attempted a self-rescue but called for help when they realized they were in trouble and this is exactly what we recommend.

We do not recommend rafting on the Skagit River.

Hope SAR was tasked out last night to assist with delivering evacuation notices to the residents of Boston Bar. We have ...
07/05/2026

Hope SAR was tasked out last night to assist with delivering evacuation notices to the residents of Boston Bar.

We have nothing more to offer than encouragement and hope to the people who live up the Canyon and are experiencing numerous early season wildfires of note this year.

We sincerely hope for winds to calm or change direction, for strength and wisdom for the wildland firefighters and for protection of infrastructure from these devastating events.

Yesterday evening, Hope SAR was tasked out to rescue an injured hiker on the Hope Lookout trail. This was one of those a...
06/03/2026

Yesterday evening, Hope SAR was tasked out to rescue an injured hiker on the Hope Lookout trail. This was one of those ankle injuries that can happen to the best of us, a misstep, unexpectedly uneven terrain, downhill fatigue, there are many ways a person can sustain an ankle injury.

As always, a call for SAR is free of charge. We are always happy to get you safely off the trail. With a crew of 11 members, the basket carry went smoothly and we made it out before dark.

We wish our subject a speedy recovery (and hopefully no one's mosquito bites kept them up all night because they are vicious this year).

This is the final weekend to apply. If you're interested in being a part of an amazing team that feels like family, whil...
05/30/2026

This is the final weekend to apply. If you're interested in being a part of an amazing team that feels like family, while also making a life changing impact on people's lives, don't miss your opportunity. Go to HopeSAR.ca to submit your application. We're excited to hear from you.

Hope SAR was tasked out at 19:30 to rescue three stranded hikers off the summit of Mount Grant. One hiker had sustained ...
05/24/2026

Hope SAR was tasked out at 19:30 to rescue three stranded hikers off the summit of Mount Grant. One hiker had sustained a sprained ankle and all three hikers were extracted by helicopter a half hour before sunset.

Mount Grant is a climb of over 2,000 meters and is still partially covered in snow. Past Eaton Lake, the trail is no longer marked and route finding is required. The hikers would not have been prepared for a night on an exposed summit with temperatures dropping near zero when factoring wind conditions. Their batteries were all approaching zero, and the majority of this trail is out of cell service.

As always, we encourage people to fully research hikes before venturing out. Less popular hikes like Grant can have minimal reviews and there's no way of knowing the skill level of the reviewers. Always carry the essentials you would need to survive a night on the mountain.

Thankfully, this call was a quick, successful task and we are thankful for a positive outcome.

05/24/2026

Hope SAR was tasked out today to assist a 70-year woman who was experiencing a medical emergency on Serpent's Back trail. The team hiked to their location and assessed the subject, where it was decided that a long line extraction was necessary.

Many thanks to the Chilliwack Search and Rescue CDFL team and to Valley Helicopters for assisting with the extraction.

We understand emergencies can happen to anyone and a call to SAR is always free.

Also, to anyone who thinks this looks like an exciting way to spend an afternoon, our application window is open for one more week. Please visit our website and fill out an application if you'd like to join our team! We'd love to hear from you.

Address

940 Fraser Avenue
Hope, BC
V0X1L0

Opening Hours

Monday 12am - 11:59pm
Tuesday 12am - 11:59pm
Wednesday 12am - 11:59pm
Thursday 12am - 11:59pm
Friday 12am - 11:59pm
Saturday 12am - 11:59pm
Sunday 12am - 11:59pm

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