Climber ‘wanted to get old’

Climbing guide Wolfgang Maier did not want people saying he died doing what he loved if he was killed on a mountain.

He once gave told partner Tracey Bell that after she asked him what he wanted people to say at his funeral should tragedy strike.

‘‘He said, ‘No, I wanted to get old and sit on the balcony smoking on my cigar. I don’t want to die in a mountaineering accident, that’s not how I want to go’,’’ Bell said from her home in Perth yesterday.

‘‘He loved other things in life. He had me, he had his family, he loved rock climbing and stargazing. There were so many more aspects to him.’’

Maier, 58, and Martin Hess, 50, died on Wednesday morning when an avalanche struck their climbing party on Mt Hicks, near Mt Cook.

Maier, had guided adventurer Jo Morgan on 22 of the 24 peaks in New Zealand higher than 3000 metres.

Bell spoke to Maier only hours before the trio left for the climb. The group had spent the previous few days in the Empress Hut, playing cards and rationing their food, waiting for a break in the weather.

Maier called to say the weather had improved and they would shortly be leaving. He hoped to call her when they got back in 12 hours.

‘‘We always said I love you at the end of the conversation before he was about to climb, because every partner of a mountain guide knows you might get the call one day.’’

That call came in the form of a message about noon, New Zealand time, when Bell woke and turned on her phone.

She had two messages: one from Alpine Recreation director Anne Braun-Elwert, and another from Hess’ former partner.

Both asked Bell to call as soon as she could.

‘‘My heart sank, I just knew something had happened. Anne didn’t know if anyone had called me so she broke the news, that’s when my world was ripped out from under my feet.’’