Media coverage

Yea, very interesting. One wants to pay the victims full respect, but the nature of the information blanket so far on such a mysterious tragedy does lend itself to speculation.

I don't think it's so mysterious. They bit off more than they could chew, weren't fit enough or experienced enough, underestimated how bad the conditions would be after the top of Hector. Got to the top of Hector, couldn't stop, didn't keep eating as it was too cold to stop around the dress circle, ran out of energy about the top of Alpha and got off route coming down, got cold when the realised they were off route, stopped to try and figure it out and couldn't keep going. With more experience you'd know you had to put on every piece of clothing you had including a beanie and eat, make sure you had extra snacks in your rain coat pocket, and do all that as quickly as possible somewhere before the top of Hector while you were still warm from the climb because you'd know you will have no chance to stop on top of Hector or thereafter. Sad that people are still coming to grief in these places nearly 100 years after Esmond Kime, in spite of all the fancy gear now available. I don't think there's an information blanket, just those involved are dead, next of kin are understandably not prepared to talk to media, in the absence of anything else, media go to anyone else they can find and encourage speculation so they have something to print.

Absolutely. I wasn't meaning to suggest the lack of Police info is unwarranted right now, but I find interesting with the different types of comment and different angles media get when they go to different sources (hence splitting the thread). To be fair, I see in the Herald's coverage, the same TTC President has also been referenced as recommending a PLB.... after all the stuff about having appropriate clothing, being prepared, carrying and knowing how to use navigational equipment. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/north-island/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503932&objectid=11752370

I've done this circuit solo. It's a long slog up Neill Ridge, and if they were exhausted, and the weather was crap, they could have either turned back or bailed down to Kime from Mt Hector. Or even down into the Renata Ridge bush (with bivy bags) from Aston. I'm guessing it's the familiar 'hut too far' scenario. Just like Bennington. Fitness, navigation skills & equipment are all factors, but it's knowing when to bail that's critical.

Ian_H You've got the geography back-to-front. They set out from Waihohine Gorge campsite. They (presumably) passed Cone Hut (no information released on whether or not they signed in), went up the Bull Mound Track, then Dress Circle, and were found dead about a click east of Alpha Hut. I don't know the area, but from the map it appears as though they never even breached the bushline.

Their route is something the media has given conflicting information on. I recall seeing a visual that showed the route that Craigo talked about but that is not what the words said they did (as refered to by Ian_H).

Hi @Craig_H. Are you sure, and where did you learn they were found east of Alpha Hut? What you've described is the most direct and obvious route from Waiohine Gorge to Alpha Hut, and it's what most people were assuming had been taken when all that was known was that they left Waiohine Gorge towards Alpha Hut.... which is why everyone was so confused that they'd both been found dead. On Tuesday, though, Police indicated that they'd actually been attempting a Neill Winchcombe circuit, more or less as @Ian_H described. eg. "It's understood the men had planned to leave Waiohine Gorge campsite on Saturday morning, making their way up to Neill Ridge and via the Dress Circle Track to stay overnight at Alpha Hut." (Police press release but also reported elsewhere.) http://www.police.govt.nz/news/release/update-trampers-tararua-forest-park That's a much longer, more exposed and more arduous trip.

Izogi - Aha, the account I read pre-dated that one. Thanks for putting me straight. That makes much more sense.

It was the article that gave the information on the men who died (most recent one I have seen) that had the graphic showing the more direct route rather than the route they actually took which was described somewhere else. So not just due to the sequence of knowledge gathering, more to do with careless reporting.