A mountain climber from Argentina is stuck on Canada’s highest mountain following Monday’s earthquakes.

Natalia Martinez, 37, is camped about 3,700 metres up Mount Logan in southwest Yukon and working on a plan to get off the mountain.

Martinez began her solo trek on April 22.

Monday’s earthquakes, affecting the Alaskan Panhandle and southwest Yukon, caused avalanches which have left her stranded.

The first earthquake at 5:30 a.m. had a magnitude of 6.2, and the second, hitting at 7:18 a.m., had a magnitude of 6.3.

Outfitter Icefield Discovery dropped Martinez at her base camp just below the east ridge of the mountain.

Chief pilot Tom Bradley explained this morning that her plan was to climb the East Ridge to the highest peak, traverse the top of the mountain and descend the west side down the King’s Trench, where she would be picked up at the bottom.

“It was a beautiful day when we flew her in; not a breath of wind or cloud in the sky,” Bradley told the Star.

But a couple of days into the climb, he said, Martinez ran into trouble when she broke a heel strap on her crampon between camps two and three at an elevation between 3,100 and 3,900 metres.

“She could no longer safely go up or down,” explained Bradley.

“From that point there, she pretty well needed a helicopter rescue.”

But the outfitter decided that they could safely fly along the ridge and drop her a new set of crampons last Friday.

“We did a couple of runs to hit the sweet spot for the drop. It was a pretty small target to hit,” said Bradley.

“If we dropped them too late or too early, the crampons had a long way to drop.”

Martinez safely received the crampons. She continued on her journey, making it to camp five at an elevation of about 5,000 metres.

That’s when things turned for the worst, said Bradley. The earthquakes struck, sending snow and ice tumbling down the mountain.

Bradley explained that Martinez wasn’t aware at the time that the avalanches were caused by earthquakes, but she was camped in a safe location.

“From there, that really spooked her, and now she’s climbed down to camp four to a safer spot,” he said.

Martinez is now hunkered down in very windy conditions waiting for the storm to pass to determine whether she can climb back down the mountain or wait for a helicopter rescue.

“At this stage, she’s kind of looking for a helicopter rescue once the weather breaks,” said Bradley.

Christine Aikens, a representative from the Yukon Field Unit of Parks Canada, said a team from Kluane National Park is in close contact with the stranded climber.

“Parks Canada is putting all of our energy into working with her to assess the situation and develop a plan,” she said by e-mail.

Martinez is also in contact with her partner, Camilo Rada, who is studying in Vancouver, via satellite phone.

Sian Williams with Icefield Discovery said that Martinez is an experienced climber who has been on several scientific missions. She descended Mount Malaspina in the St. Elias range with her partner two years ago.

“When we felt the earthquakes, the first thought I had was of all our mountaineers and particularly Natalia, who is on a more technical route,” she said.

“I was so relieved to hear she had been in contact with her partner Camilo Rada and was fine.”

She added that all of the climbers throughout the St. Elias range are OK and waiting for the storm to pass.

Mount Logan, with a peak of 5,959 metres (19,550 feet), is the highest point in Canada and second-highest in North America to Mount McKinley.

According to Parks Canada, an average of 25 climbers attempt to summit the mountain annually. Rescues at this altitude in Canada are rare due to the mountain’s height, remoteness and the small number of climbers.

And these rescues have increased risks to all parties involved.

Climbers can face lengthy delays and response times due to remoteness, weather conditions, and the availability of rescue resources.

Three climbers were rescued from Mount Logan on April 19 after attempting to climb the east ridge of the mountain, reaching an altitude of 4998 metres.

A rescue was requested after a climber had symptoms of altitude sickness.

The Kluane National Park Visitior Safety Team immediately initiated a response which included remote support from Visitor Safety Specialists in Banff and Jasper National Parks.

A team of three Kluane National Park Visitor Safety staff and a certified rescue pilot flew in by helicopter from Haines Junction to Mount Logan to rescue the climbers.

“This rescue was successful due to favourable weather conditions and a professional and well-trained team,” reads an information bulletin from Parks Canada.