Another missing tramper in Tararuas
update , still missing. last known location Arete Biv
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12236694
1 deleted post from
waynowski
Boy can I identify with this one; I'm very familiar with this exact route and how tough it can be if the weather goes against you. The SAR teams will be doing it hard in this country and I hope they get to a good outcome.
This is the same area I got caught out in during a week long spell of strong westerlies during November 2010. I was never in any real danger, but a five day trip turned into a ten day one. Fortunately I was able to contact SAR (the same guy running this one, Tony Matheson) and between us we cooked up a plan and avoided an overdue alarm.
But in mid-winter the Waiohine Pinnacles will be treacherous and there are no easy retreats from Arete Biv.
Footprints found today, "close to where he went missing". Presumably that means close to Arete Biv if it was his last known location?
Although I didn't think he'd been heard from since Thursday (I'm assuming this is where the Arete Biv knowledge comes from) and apparently there's nothing in the hut books.
If he left Arete on Friday (just me extrapolating), how likely is it that footprints would still be visible today? When did the cruddiest weather go through? Is it possible he left the biv after it, much more recently, and footprints are still apparent?
I was in the Holdsworth area yesterday, and a chopper was up there, going back and forth very low over the track between Holdsworth and Jumbo. Flew right over us a couple of times.
Apparently the footprints have been discounted, according to something that was stated on RNZ this morning.
If they are looking between Arete Biv and Tarn Ridge hut -a s the articles are saying - I hope like hell that doesnt mean he did the Waiohine Pinnacles in some of the atrocious weather we've just had.
A friend of mine was dropped onto Girdlestone by heli as part of the search effort on Monday to search Dorset Ridge which drops into Park Forks from Tarn Ridge. His comment was that the drop off Girdlestone, which is sketchy in the best conditions, had quite a few iced up sections and that his micro-spikes were invaluable. They were evacuated from Park Forks on Tuesday before the weather closed in again. I can only imagine what the Waiohine Pinnacles would be like in those conditions. I really hope he has dropped below the bush line and is bivvied up somewhere waiting out the weather.
i've done the waiohine pinnacles in snow. depends how much snow stays on them, there wasnt a lot sticking to them when i did it so they were doable, but you worried about your feet slipping...
Yeah, I had similar conditions on a trip along the Bannister-Waingawa ridge, where the south facing steps were iced up. Was very happy to have spiked shoes on that one, certainly focuses the attention. If he was going via Mitre Peak the clamber up the North Western ridge would have been interesting too.
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| Forum | The campfire |
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| Started by | TararuaHunter |
| On | 3 June 2019 |
| Replies | 87 |
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