Missing tramper on Cascade Saddle

From http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/5199463/Tramper-tragically-unprepared "Julian Stukenborg, 23, was travelling without an ice axe and crampons and in ordinary tramping gear when he slipped about 250m down a steep cliff face below the Cascade Saddle. "He was using Lonely Planet guidebook route maps and did not fill out a Department of Conservation intention form, although he told friends of his plans." Very sad. Does anyone know what Lonely Planet says about this area in winter?

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/5199463/Tramper-tragically-unprepared The article interviews Geoff Wayatt who says the tramper had made several mistakes in not having the right equipment, the right skills etc.

Just reading in Lonely Planet "Tramping in NZ" about that route. It does warn that it is difficult above bushline and that you may be "on all fours, working from pole to pole". But there is no warning about the hazard of fresh snow. It then warns of the hazard of rising streams further down in the Dart. It obviously assumes that people will be doing this trip in summer.

Correction.. I was looking at the Aspiring Hut - Dart Hut section on page 280. If I go back two pages to page 278 under Cascade Saddle Route it give a better warning and says it should only be done when free of snow.

I remember when i was at the Mt Aspiring hut after i had done the french ridge and liverpool tracks me and two girls decided to do the cascade saddle walk. the ranger said the weather was not looking very good and said if it was raining and windy she would advise us not to do the walk as it is dangerous when wet IE: slippery mountain grass etc and guess what it pissed down

My buddy climbed Tindall in deep snow via cascade reckoned it was pretty easy ground. I hiked it in summer and it was super easy ground then but there are considerable bluffs below all the good photo posing spots (with aspiring in background, you all know the ones..) but there is steeper ground over towards Cascade saddle the track doesnt go there, possibly he fell around there? anyway we all should know it doesnt matter how well prepared you are accidents can always happen. I actually hadnt heard he was unprepared anywhere... re insurances and earlier posts. Not sure who insures the guy who said he couldnt get insurance tramping?? I know of a few companies who offer insurance to guys who summit 8000ers... tramping is a favourite nz passtime.

oh yea, you guys do all realize it is currently pretty much summer conditions in the hills here around these altitudes....

Interested to know which ones do 8000mts Damon

Ok Norm, try here: http://www.mountainz.co.nz/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1139&highlight=insurance or here: http://www.mountainz.co.nz/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1011&highlight=insurance or here: http://www.aacuk.org.uk/FAQ_Insurance.aspx These are just stuff I have read in the past, if you google 'high altitude mountaineering insurance' what do you get?

Thanks Damon The threads are interesting however the American Alpine Club has very strict terms attached, from what I've heard, and ihi, now Bupa, I already know about, though I'm not exactly sure what, if any changes have been made to their policies of late. The Austrian Alpine Clubs info would need further investigation, though I have a feeling it'll be very much like the BMC policy and you'd have to be both a member of the association and most likely an Austrian national. The BMC requires you to be British in order to get their insurance. the whole question of insurance for the great ranges and or the arctic regions has been an ongoing issue for many years, especially in this part of the world. As a former committee member of NZAC (Australian section), it was constantly coming up at meetings as many Australians found it harder and harder to get decent cover for the more adventurous expeditions. I know from personal experience just how difficult it is to arrange these types of insurance, and despite what looks fine on the outside sometimes isn't that good when you read the fine print. And rest assured that it's the fine print that the insurance will be refer to when it all goes pear shaped and you're in the middle of nowhere awaiting help.