Media Release: Is Tramping really just a walk....

Interesting. Most fatalities are from big falls (52% are 50m or more), not rivers or hypothermia or avalanches. Most (77%) of the people falling and dying are male. 71% of fall fatalities are what I'd think of as big falls of 20m or more, people are getting in really scary situations and not being able to back out. Much of the information I have seen the MSC put out over the years is around river crossing, hypothermia, avalanche awareness. Maybe that's a sign that message is getting out and working, or maybe there needs to be more emphasis on not getting lost and or bluffed and what to do to get out of trouble if you do. Another interesting point: Athough male and female numbers tramping are about equal, males are overrepresented in the overall fatality numbers, but most of the people drowning in rivers are female (8 female, 3 male). So, males need to stay off the steep stuff and not get bluffed, females need to stay out of the rivers. Groups need to use proper mutual support techniques if they are crossing a river. I wonder what proportion of the 8 females who died in a river were part of a group but didn't use any mutual support method when they were crossing, and so got washed away? I'm thinking of that Indonesian woman who drowned on the Milford, she would have been fine if she was sandwiched between the two big guys she was with when trying to cross Pompolona Creek.

she was crossing with one of the guys at least, then they got seperated half way across.