Snowbound, exhausted and frightened
Pavlina Pizova shares her survival story from the safety of Queenstown after her partner’s body is recovered from the Routeburn
A month alone in heavy snow, knowing her partner was dead and her rescue may never come, has been described as “harrowing” by Czech tourist Pavlina Pizova.
Pizova was rescued on Wednesday from the Lake Mackenzie warden’s hut, nearly 900m above sea level.
She had been holed up there since July, after her partner, Ondrej Petr, 27, fell to his death after the ill- prepared couple set out on the Routeburn Track.
The pair, who arrived in New Zealand on working holiday visas, had plans to work on a farm near Dunedin.
According to their Facebook pages, they are both outdoor lovers.
Pizova is believed to be from the small town of Police nad Metuj, near the Polish border. It had a population of 4300 in 2007. Photos show the woman atop alpine rocks, with sweeping views of the wilderness in the background. Petr was from Nove Mesto nad Metuji, 30km south of Pizova’s town. He climbed rocks barefoot, shirtless and posted photos of his intended travel destinations.
They decided to trek the 32km track, one of the country’s Great Walks, which takes about three to five days to complete.
Starting on July 26, the tramp soon turned to tragedy when they slipped down a steep bank on the second day. Petr fell further than his partner, and did not survive.
Addressing media at the Queenstown Police Station yesterday, Pizova described the experience.
“The conditions were extreme,” she said. “We encountered heavy snowfall and low cloud which contributed to our enforced overnighting in the open which affected our plans to reach Lake Mackenzie hut.
“In our attempt to reach the hut the tragic accident happened when my partner fell and died.”
Pizova stayed with Petr’s body for one night.
“After his death it took me another two nights out in the open before I reached the safety of the hut.
“The recent heavy snows meant I was walking through waist- deep snow and because all track markers were covered, I had to find my own way. During this time I got extremely cold, exhausted, and my feet were frozen.”
When she reached the hut, she broke in through a window. Despite several attempts to leave, she said she was hampered by cold, extreme weather and fear.
“At the hut, considering my physical health, the deep snow conditions, knowing there were avalanche paths ahead of me, I knew it was best to stay in the safe place.
“I made a few attempts to walk out from the hut, but my feet, the weather conditions and the deep snow discouraged me from doing so. At the hut I saw numerous avalanches coming down.”
There was a radio inside, but she could not work out how to use it. It was not until concerned friends in the Czech Republic contacted the consulate in New Zealand that the alarm was raised. The pair did not take a locator beacon or notify anyone of their plans. Consul Vladka Kennett was quick to contact police, who found the pair’s car at the Glenorchy end of the track near Queenstown.
A helicopter searched the area and saw a giant “H” Pizova had melted into the snow with ash.
Kennett said Pizova’s ordeal was unbelievable.
“I don’t understand it myself. I think she is a very strong woman. She just tried everything to survive . . . put everything she could find on her feet and body.
“She made a few attempts as she said to walk out of the hut but because of the situation she was in she . . . only made it a few hundred metres and went back. As you can imagine if you’re stuck somewhere for a month you would be very relieved, quite happy [ to be rescued].”
The woman and her partner’s families were sticking together, said Kennett.
Petr’s body was recovered yesterday.
While some people around the world have questioned the survival tale, Kennett said Pizova was rising above such comments.
Police and rescuers have praised her tactics.
“Her last decision was a very good decision — just to hunker down and wait for somebody to come along,” said DoC Wakatipu operations manager Geoff Owen.