Well-known guide believed to be among climbers killed on NZ’s most deadly peak

Christchurch: A well-known, experienced mountain guide is believed to be one of two climbers killed when they fell on New Zealand’s highest and most deadly peak.

Emergency services received reports of four climbers needing help on the west side of Aoraki/Mount Cook about 11.20pm on Monday (1.20am Tuesday AEDT), police said.

Two of the climbers were rescued uninjured. The other pair fell to their deaths.

Aoraki, also known as Mount Cook, has a fierce reputation globally and is known as New Zealand’s deadliest peak.Credit: AP

Canterbury Aoraki area commander Inspector Vicki Walker said police, Wānaka Alpine Cliff Rescue and the Department of Conservation were working to recover the climbers’ bodies from the mountain on Tuesday morning.

Stuff.co.nz understands one of those killed is a well-known New Zealand-based mountain climbing guide who was internationally recognised.

Walker said when emergency services were alerted to trouble on the mountain, a helicopter from Queenstown flew to Wānaka and picked up the Wānaka Alpine Cliff Rescue team, while a helicopter from Dunedin flew straight to the mountain and began searching.

The helicopter from Dunedin located two climbers in the group, who were airlifted from the mountain about 2.15am on Tuesday (local time).

The two helicopters completed extensive searches through the early morning for the remaining two climbers, as conditions on the mountain were calm and clear, but were unsuccessful.

However, the two missing climbers were found dead about 7am and the Rescue Co-ordination Centre was tasked with recovering their bodies in what Walker called “a challenging alpine environment”.

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A climber who didn’t want to be named said multiple climbing parties were on the mountain on Monday, and he was still waiting to hear from some of them.

“I’m praying they are OK,” the climber said.

The climber said being on the summit at that time of night was unusual but “it sometimes happens due to slow going on more committing routes like the East Ridge, South Face or Sheila Face”.

According to a climber based at Mount Cook Village, conditions on the mountain had been “very good” recently, although conditions could change “all the time”.

“I think the summit ridge is very icy, which can be typical, meaning any slip would have dire consequences,” the climber said.

A boardwalk on the way to Mount Cook.Credit: Getty Images

The mountain has a fierce reputation globally and is known as New Zealand’s deadliest peak.

Last year, American pair Kurt Blair and Cique Romero and a Canadian climber they were guiding vanished after setting off from Plateau Hut at 11pm on November 30.

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