‘He was inspiring:’ B.C. climber remembered as passionate outdoorsman
JUNEAU, Alaska — A British Columbia climber who died during a recent mountain trek in Alaska is being remembered as a talented athlete who was eager to share his expertise and passion for the outdoors.
Alaska State Troopers said Wednesday that Marc-Andre Leclerc, a 25-year-old from Squamish, B.C., and 34-year-old Ryan Johnson of Juneau are presumed dead.
They hadn’t been heard from since March 5 when they posted a photo from the top of the Mendenhall Towers, a seven-peaked mountain about 20 kilometres north of Juneau. Poor weather hampered search efforts when the men were reported overdue two days later.
Leclerc grew up in a family that loved the outdoors and he became something of a climbing prodigy early on, said John Irvine, manager of global community marketing with outdoor gear company Arc’Teryx.