Missing Squamish hiker recounts days of survival in wilderness

Stanislav Volo has described how he survived for several days in the wilderness near Squamish after becoming lost during what was meant to be a six-hour hike on the challenging 12-kilometre Mount Habrich Loop.

Volo set out on Aug. 30 and did not return home, prompting a large-scale search. He said that midway through the hike, he realized his phone battery would not last for the return trip. Unable to find a route down, he took shelter overnight in a small cave and later heard search-and-rescue aircraft overhead, though crews could not see him.

He said falls left him with a black eye, a cracked wrist and a broken heel. At one point, Volo said he feared he might have to remain in the wilderness for the rest of his life. He continued moving, surviving on water and plants until he heard the sound of a road.

Volo found a less-steep climb to the road and said people picked him up immediately. He said their emotional welcome was memorable. He is unsure whether he will hike again soon, though he said that could change and that he may bring a map next time.