Landsboro rescue

Landsborough to Mueller to Mt Cook village via various routes, some less sensible than others. Mt Cook village to Copeland Pass to Copeland river then down to the Karangarua and the roadend? Route might be sensible, description of same scribbled down by a geographically challenged reporter and typed into the newspaper website possibly less so.

The article says he was on the glacier at the head of the Landsborough, presumably that's the McKerrow Glacier. From there over Christopher Col to the Bannie Glacier and across the Mueller Glacier and to Mt Cook Village via Mueller Hut, then Copeland Pass - Copeland River - Karangarua river and home? http://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap?v=2&ll=-43.741865,170.007221&z=14

While googling about I found this group of pics taken from the air of this area: http://xtranewscommunity2.smfforfree.com/index.php?topic=47.75 About the 12th shot down is a great view of the Bannie Glacier and Christopher Col. Doesn't look your usual Sunday afternoon stroll. :-)

Ok, looks pretty ugly in that picture. Probably the sort of place that wasn't too bad in the 1930's but is nasty as hell now with exposed rotten rock and overhanging unsupported ice above. Wonder how he was planning to get from the upper Landsborough / McKerrow Glacier to Copeland Pass, or maybe the article has it all wrong.

@waynowski has already posted this in another thread, but the MSC's interview with the man sounds very directly relevant to this thread. (I haven't yet had a chance to listen so cannot comment.) https://clyp.it/2et0n1ia

So he was heading up Mt Mongomerie from Spence Glacier - presumably heading for Fyfe Pass and onto the Mueller. He'd already crossed from the Karangarua into the Landsboro - though by what route he doesn't say. My summary for those that have no time to listen to the clip Wayno posted: Avalanche rating was at 1. He'd assessed the local conditions as capable of producing small avalanches. He was 2 hours later in the day than he wished to be for what was a gully climb with snowslab above. Got caught up in a large avalanche - interview was not very clear on the type - but the sheer size of it surprised him.