Warning over climbing risks
A veteran Taranaki mountaineer fears there will be another tragedy on Mt Taranaki because visitors don’t realise how dangerous it is to climb in winter.
Lindsay Maindonald, of Eltham, urges Taranaki residents to warn visitors they must not attempt a climb without experienced advice and suitable equipment.
‘‘My thought is that if somebody comes across a tourist and hears what they’re going to do, say that’s not a good idea, not at this time of year.
‘‘I’d hate to not say anything, and another young fella loses his life.’’
Last week, Maindonald was shocked to meet a young Frenchman, who had climbed most of the way to the mountain summit alone, with no experience and inadequate gear, warming himself up after his descent beside the fire at the North Egmont Visitor Centre.
‘‘He had reached an icy ridge, and he was terrified. He said: ‘My heart was going bang bang bang’.
‘‘He didn’t try to go on to the summit, thank goodness, I just couldn’t believe it,’’ Maindonald said. ‘‘He was an extremely fortunate young man, to say the least. I said to him: ‘My mate was killed in France on a mountain, I don’t want to even the score’.’’
Maindonald lost a childhood friend, NZ mountain climber Russell Braddock, who was killed in an avalanche in the French Alps on June 20, 2016.
Earlier in the week, Maindonald had talked another young Frenchman, who was freedom camping at Lake Rotomanu in New Plymouth, out of trying to climb the mountain.
The freedom camper took his advice, and Maindonald said he thought the man he’d met on the mountain would have stopped if someone had advised him not to go.
Department of Conservation senior ranger Dave Rogers said the French tramper was very lucky.
He said visitors should seek advice from the visitor centres or i-sites in towns, and if they wanted to do a winter ascent find a professional guide or experienced mountaineer to take them safely.
‘‘In winter the ground is frozen, it would be very difficult for anyone trying to climb the mountain if they didn’t have the right gear, and if you’re not experienced, you’re going to get into trouble,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s not the tallest of mountains. People can see the top, and they think they can get there, and some do get there, but the difficulty is getting down again, trying to come down on ice is a very different matter.’’