Ban after crater lake death
Mt Ruapehu’s crater lake, which claimed a life over the weekend, would have been warm to the touch but its treacherous surrounds are likely what killed, say experts.
A 39-year-old Taupo resident reported missing to police on Friday was found dead at Mt Ruapehu crater lake on Saturday.
The man left home on Friday to go skiing at Whakapapa skifield. He was reported missing that evening.
Initial inquiries confirmed the man's car was in the skifield car park on Mt Ruapehu but he could not be located.
Bad weather at the time prevented searches before Saturday morning. Family joined the ground teams and helicopters at first light. After a short search, the man was found dead at the crater lake.
Police said initial indications were that the man accidentally fell into the lake.
The Department of Conservation (DOC) announced a ra¯ hui – essentially making the upper part of the North Island’s highest mountain off limits – until sunrise on Wednesday.
GNS vulcanologist Agnes Mazot said the lake’s temperature was between 32 and 33 degrees Celsius – a warm bath’s temperature – over the weekend but the water was notably acidic with other nasty elements in it.
‘‘It is not pleasant if you have a cut on your hand.’’
But the real danger was the steep terrain which was around the crater, which included cliffs
and a glacier, Mazot said.
Mountain guide Gary Dickson said the crater was easy to access, helped in part by the skifield lifts, which carried people a good distance of the way up. But the terrain was genuine mountaineering, even if it was at the easier end of the scale.
At this time of the year, the ice and snow surrounding the crater could be turned into small, icy cliffs by the water and that would make getting out harder, especially without proper equipment, he said.
DOC said the ra¯hui meant people should not go above the ski areas’ boundaries out of respect for the man who died.
‘‘This provides time for healing and recovery of the natural elements at place and people, in particular the grieving wha¯ nau,’’ a DOC statement said.
Hazel Phillips, who was at Whakapapa as part of a group of ski tourers on Saturday afternoon, witnessed some of the retrieval. ‘‘This is a very sad outcome,’’ Phillips said.
‘‘Conditions were windy and icy underfoot and this presents a sliding risk.
‘‘We also witnessed someone fall while descending Dome, lose his ice axe and thankfully come to a stop on a flat part. He was badly equipped and not experienced.’’
He was lucky not to land in the crater lake too, she said.
‘‘With spring conditions softening the snow above the lifts on Ruapehu, this is a high-risk time as people who aren’t used to serious alpine conditions begin to venture into unpatrolled and uncontrolled terrain.’’
In September last year, adventurer Richard Ebbett went missing after heading to the Whakapapa ski field, and his body was later located in the crater lake.