File photo: T. Harris — not reflective of current conditions.

Media Release: Remarkables Climbing Tragedy

NZ Mountain Safety
Nov 6 · 2 min read

The tragic incident which resulted in the death of two climbers in The Remarkables yesterday has prompted the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council (MSC) to issue a clarification on the terminology used when describing the details of this tragedy.

MSC Chief Executive Mike Daisley says “It’s too early to discuss the events surrounding the incident. Until the relevant authorities have completed their investigations MSC won’t be speculating on those details. For now, the focus should be on giving those involved time to come to terms with what’s happened.”

“The Grand Traverse of The Remarkables Single and Double Cone is an iconic alpine climbing route. It requires specialist skills and knowledge and is only suitable for climbing groups who are competent in alpine rock climbing and mountaineering environments,” said Mr Daisley.

Mr Daisley goes on to say, “This is not a tramp (hike), this is not a trail. It’s a serious undertaking and not suitable for most people. While The Remarkables can be seen from Queenstown and may appear to be an accessible location this is a tragic reminder of the very real risks our mountains can pose.”

At this time of the year, despite summer being at the forefront of many people’s minds, the conditions across New Zealand mountain ranges can still very much reflect late winter/early spring. This means a combination of loose alpine rock and areas of snow cover remaining from winter. These snow patches are heated throughout the day and may or may not freeze again overnight. At approximately 2000m above Lake Wakatipu the temperature at the Top of Double Cone is significantly colder and high winds can be common at any time.

The Grand Traverse exposes climbers to steep and unforgiving terrain. The use of climbing ropes and specialist climbing equipment is standard practice for even the most experienced climbers. It’s not a location you accidentally come across on an easy walk or mistakenly find yourself in, if you’re up there it’s because you’ve identified it as a goal, and you’ve committed to the challenge.

ENDS

For media outlets, the Mountain Safety Council strongly urge all articles or stories contain a prompt to direct people to further safety information at www.mountainsafety.org.nz.

Interviews: to arrange an interview please contact Mike Daisley on 027 443 7557

NZ Mountain Safety

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For over 50 years MSC has been NZ’s national organisation promoting safety in land based outdoor activities #MakeItHomeNZ | Media kit — https://goo.gl/fIEvIq

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