Climbers trapped at 2500m on Mt Taranaki

[wayno]

Rescuers hold "grave concerns" for two climbers trapped for a second night in a snow cave on Mt Taranaki and say the harsh conditions - including a 16C wind chill - and lack of overnight gear could make survival difficult.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/artic ... d=11147301

[wayno]

question is , did they pay suitable attention to the forecast before their trip?
the mountain forecast showed winds of 100k and windchill of -14 at the top of the mountain. or did they think, it's spring how bad could it get or because they are experienced they will cope with whatever the conditions throw at them...

theres been a few cases in recent years of very experienced people getting in over their heads, where their experience gave them too much confidence in some cases proving fatal...

seddon bennington was one of these cases, he perished in the cold on top of a mountain along with his tramping partner

http://www.stuff.co.nz/3334629

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/ca ... to-tragedy

[wayno]

A team of six searchers are approaching the summit of Mt Taranaki hoping to rescue two trampers trapped in a snow cave.

Another group of five rescuers are further down the mountain and another four are working with the air force to prepare a helicopter which will only fly if the weather improves.

Police Senior Sergeant Thomas McIntyre said the weather forecast was good and conditions up the mountain are clearer than yesterday.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/9332919 ... -to-rescue

[Giddy_up]

Does sound like they were part of some alpine group wayno and the weather sound terrible. Surely they must have seen the forecast one would think!!!!!!

[wayno]

they are part of a group from The NZ Alpine Club, Auckland

[wayno]

At least one of the trapped climbers on Mt Taranaki was believed to be alive early today when alpine rescuers heard a voice calling out.

Rescuers had made contact with the duo by dawn, but there was no word of the Auckland pair's condition after their second night in blizzard conditions not far from the summit.

[wayno]

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/climber ... es-5661522

[Giddy_up]

Gee whiz, that's a sad end wayno. So under prepared even for a day walk in that part of the world.

[wayno]

they were stuck at the top of the mountain in a snow cave for two nights...

[Giddy_up]

Would you climb a 2500m peak without some measure of safety gear and provisions wayno?

[wayno]

with that weather forecast, i just walked up the local hill this weekend rather than go anywhere, its a long weekend, labour weekend and the weather is often treacherous in the mountains, wellington had 130k winds, officially it was a hundred k's on teh mountain but i'd say it got a lot worse...... they had stated they were well equipped... but didnt have overnight camping gear, not sure exactly what they had whether they had a bivy bag , i would have had a bivy bag definitely and spare warm clothes, and a stove wouldnt go a miss in the cold conditions

[GPSGuided]

How and why did the original eight member party separate? Not sensible to push on when 6 members have decided to turn back, or is it?

[wayno]

i havent been able to find out much information, its just the basic info saying 6 got down and two didnt, two were one night in a snow cave, i think a different one and they then got down the following day. i think they were caving lower down...
no doubt there will be further disection in the press of what went wrong,,, i wonder if it came down to a difference in clothing and or body fat... be terrible for the survivor having to stay with the dead man... you can keep yourself awake for one night to stave off hypothermia but a second night it becomes a lot harder, and once your'e asleep, hypothermia becomes a bigger danger...

[wayno]

, a 29-year-old woman, was alive but Mr Telford would not comment on her condition.

Rescuers were now working to get her off the mountain by foot, as the weather was still hampering efforts to reach them by helicopter.

[GPSGuided]

That sounded really difficult to have to bring her down by foot. The risks to her life are not over yet.

[wayno]

they wouldnt move her if they didnt feel she was up to it, she must have recovered well with food, and warming up...

[GPSGuided]

It's really interesting to consider how an individual's personality can lead to different outcomes like this. Seeing the discussions on this and related episodes, it's clear that most here are quite cautious, not likely to get into this kind of strife. A few years ago, we were on holiday and driving on the beach. A friend who came along with no beach driving experience in a slightly souped up car, read slick tyres, decided to drive on when the rest of us have decided to stop and turn back. Very soon and in the far distance we noted that his car was no longer moving. Got there, and he was bogged down in dryer sand when he tried to turn around. Intelligent and positive guy but just do not think through the steps and identify the risks. So called "happy go happy". This is not the first small incident of this nature but it's highly indicative of his personality.

[wayno]

someone i knew, thought nothing spending weeks on his own in the southern alps in some really rugged terrain off track. didnt worry him one bit,,,
he loved a cottong shirt he liked to wear, it was blowing hard and drizling one day, and thats all he was wearing , while i was wearing storm gear... he said the shirt dried fast.

he didnt return from one trip., his route was known, they brought in SAR dogs and couldnt find anything.... he's never been found

[wayno]

sounds like they're stretchering the survivor off.
"on foot" didnt necessarily mean she was on foot

Mr Telford said the priority was on getting the surviving climber off the mountain so she could get further medical attention.

"We're still hampered by the weather, and at this stage we're just planning to carry them off or, if we get a break in the weather, to fly them off.''

Mr Telford said rescuers wanted to get the woman off the mountain "quickly and safely''.

He would not comment on her condition, other than to confirm she was alive.

Asked if her condition was serious, given the other climber had died, he said: "I don't want to go down that track.''

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/artic ... d=11147301

[GPSGuided]

With 2 nights and the death of another, the female is unlikely to be in a condition that can be reverted by some food and warm drinks. No surprise there. I note in your earlier linked report, it said that the pair are Japanese from Auckland. I wonder if there's any communication or cultural issues leading up to the incident? I would have assumed that the Auckland Alpine Club is a legitimate and decent club there.

[wayno]

time will tell on the communication issue. i think only the man is japanese.
someone told me a story about the kepler track, at luxmore hut on top of the track the ranger gave the morning briefing for severe weather and advised that people not proceed across the ridge tops (which is the direction the vast majority travel in), and that they turn around and go down.
one japanese girl didnt understand and proceeded across, having to crawl in places. the person who told me the story ran into her a week later and she was still pretty shaken up.

[GPSGuided]

Apart from communication, I was also thinking of a common Japanese mantra on their traditional headbands ie. Must win. You must have seen those two characters with your links to Japan. Determination seemed to have been ingrained into many of their people, especially the male.

[icefest]

Apart from communication, I was also thinking of a common Japanese mantra on their traditional headbands ie. Must win. You must have seen those two characters with your links to Japan. Determination seemed to have been ingrained into many of their people, especially the male.

While we are at it can we make sweeping generalisations about Germans, Italians and Chinese people too?

[GPSGuided]

While we are at it can we make sweeping generalisations about Germans, Italians and Chinese people too?

I think so.

But seriously, the reputation of the Japanese from a cultural perspective is well known. It does generalise but it is indeed a standout feature. Nothing derogatory but a feature of the society.

[wayno]

i'm calling cultural comments off topic for this thread thanks,
let our thoughts be with those who have lost a loved one and for the safety of the surviving lady...

[Giddy_up]

i'm calling cultural comments off topic for this thread thanks,
let our thoughts be with those who have lost a loved one and for the safety of the surviving lady...

+1

[wayno]

they were in a technically difficult location to reach, if a helicopter can't get in it could be a long and difficult stretcher carry to bring the survivor down. i've seen no further updates on how the rescuers are progressing with this but nz landSAR are highly trained and know what they are doing, they will be carrying out the most efficient and safe rescue possible.
much respect for landSAR, the Police, the airforce and all other emergency services involved

[Giddy_up]

It sounds like the survivor might be in pretty rough shape, lets hope the extraction is a smooth one for all concerned.

[wayno]

being a mountain climber she'll be a tough breed... she should have better odds than most of pulling through ...

the mountain has remained in cloud all day

http://geonet.org.nz/volcano/info/taranakiegmont

[wayno]

unfortunately the reamaining survivor has passed away.

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/second- ... es-5661522