Another missing tramper in Tararuas
88 comments
@Berend de Boer winds got up to 140 kms very quickly, with rain. the track down near waiohine pinnacles is logical escape route, but foot prints discovered after snow cleared, showed he probably only got half way. the Pinnacles would have been near impassable in those conditions
Bailing out down arete stream is easy to understand. even if it hell to get to the bottom
Many years ago maybe about 40 to 45 years there was a search in the same area. It was in winter and I was in the team that went down Arête stream. I really can't remember much about it apart from the weather was nice and they was quite a bit of snow about. I do remember in the lower reaches we sidled over to the track coming down from the pinnacles
Its very sad and a shame that he wasnt able to bail in the other direction and drop down into the Park Valley - its far more gradual and it would have been a far nicer place to drop into than the Arete side. He was probably being pushed the way he went by the wind.
Bush conditions excluded of course, I dont know what those are like in there, but the Park valley is my fave spot in the whole range.
he may have been aiming to get to the hut and track in Arete valley, the waiohine gets worse as it goes down, its not a good long term option to go into you have to climb back out of it eventually.., limited campsites.. not many tracks going through there.
:( Poor bloke. RIP mate.
Must have been aiming for Arete forks, still had bit to go, but it is passable. just got know when to sidle above the creek. And handle the Tararua alpine scrub. it was a logical choice to get out of the weather at the time.
Park valley gets gorgy for a bit below the scrub. and the river is difficult if up a bit. And no hut until long way down, unless climbing back out to Carkeek.
The upper waiohine is easier, but still got to climb out to Tarn or Carkeek huts.
Doesn't seem he got as far as waiohine pinnacles, otherwise he would have escaped down to the AF hut. the turn off is well marked.
I reckon he should have just waited at Arete Biv for better conditions. Others on this site reckon the Arete Stream is a goer for an escape route, but that whole basin looked pretty gnarly to me, when I went through there. The only safe way down to the east would be Pinnacle Spur. It's moderately flat along that ridge to get there, and the turn-off is just before the tricky Waiohine Pinnacles, so that risk is avoided. But maybe the snow was just too deep, the gale too strong. Again, hunkering down in the Biv would be the best option. He had a cellphone signal. Tragic outcome.
2
arete stream is an escape route only when its dry...
i think it was raining when he went down
@John Saunders, the media say he was experienced, but he had been in this country for less than 2 years, had never been in the Tararuas, and he immediately does almost the most difficult crossing. In winter. I'm sure the thought of waiting didn't cross his mind once.
According to a family member on TVNZ (which I watched embedded in one of the Stuff articles), his experience in Tongariro was the Northern Circuit, so possibly not quite the same thing if that was accurate, and maybe this whole thing had some new experiences and situations for him.
It's tricky to gauge specific skills and experience through the eyes of people who aren't necessarily into tramping themselves, but might only know that another person "does it lots more than I do".
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| Forum | The campfire |
|---|---|
| Started by | TararuaHunter |
| On | 3 June 2019 |
| Replies | 87 |
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