Bodies of Otago-based climbers recovered in Fiordland

Police have recovered the bodies of two Kiwi climbers they had to leave in Fiordland overnight after finding them at sunset at the bottom of a cliff.

The pair were reported missing on Monday afternoon and had been overdue for 24 hours, Sergeant Tod Hollebon, of Te Anau police, said.

“A search by helicopter . . . located the climbers at the base of a climbing face where they had clearly suffered a fall,” Hollebon said.

A Southland police team retrieved the bodies yesterday in an area below Marian Peak in the Darran Mountains.

The two were Otago-based climbers, both members of the New Zealand Alpine Team, on what has been described as one of New Zealand’s most difficult climbs, reports the Otago Daily Times.

The alpine team’s website says it is made up of New Zealand alpine climbers who volunteered their time to mentor a future generation of alpine climbers.

It takes applicants aged between 18 and 25 and provides three years of training to further climbing skills.

The Darran Mountains is a popular climbing area for advanced climbers.

An alpine team member said the two men were climbing one of New Zealand’s bigger mountain faces. “It’s really as difficult as it gets in terms of rock climbing in New Zealand.”

The pair had left Homer Huts near the Milford Rd on Saturday.

They aimed to head from Barrier Knob to Barrier Peak, before descending into Marian Valley and then climbing Marian Peak.

Police are contacting next of kin.

Southern Lakes Helicopters owner Richard Hayes flew the chopper that searched for the climbers last night.

He was called in after they were reported overdue by a third climber.

Hayes first flew to Homer Huts to pick up the man who raised the alarm.

“He gave us an indication of where they were attempting to climb and traverse so we flew that route and started at the bottom of a virtually vertical cliff band, at the southern aspect of Mt Marian,” Hayes said. “We had a result right at the bottom of Mt Marian at the head of Marian Valley.”

The bodies were found about 6pm as the sun was setting.

The terrain was so tricky it was decided to wait till daylight.

Hayes flew the police search and rescue team out again yesterday and hovered over a big rock to drop them off. About an hour later he returned and choppered the victims’ bodies back using 18m longlines.

Hayes said his company did a lot of SAR work around the Darran Mountains. “It’s very popular with the climbing fraternity.”