Elite climbers fell 100m
NZ Alpine Team under scrutiny: Five years, five members dead
Two climbers who plunged 100 metres to their deaths in Fiordland were only the third team to tackle the challenging mountain face.
Conor Jon Neil Smith, 22, and Sarwan Philip Chand, 27, were found dead below a climbing route known as Maid Marian, on the south face of the Darran Mountains, in April 2017.
Coroner David Robinson began a three-day hearing yesterday into the circumstances of the deaths and is considering recommendations.
The men were both members of the elite New Zealand Alpine Team and the role of the team has come under scrutiny after five members died in five years.
Although none of the deaths happened on official NZAT trips, they have prompted former team members and other climbers to voice concerns about a culture that pushed young climbers too far, too quickly.
Soon afterwards, the Expedition Climbers Club (ECC), of which the NZAT is an initiative, announced a review into the deaths of Smith and Chand.
Team leaders are expected to give evidence during the hearing but the review has been suppressed by the court.
Expert witness Geoff Wayatt told the coroner that Smith and Chand planned to spend two days climbing Maid Marian – a ‘‘conservative’’ approach, he said.
It had previously been climbed twice, including by NZ Alpine Team mentors Daniel Joll and Ben Dare.
It involved two faces and the men intended to bivouac between the lower wall and upper section.
However, they fell about a third of the way up the first face. There were no witnesses or survivors to the fall but the recovered equipment showed Smith was the lead climber and was about 17 metres above Chand, who was belaying, when Smith fell.
There was no clue as to what caused him to fall but it could have included a hand or foot slip, a dislodged rock, failed hand grip or slippery foot conditions.
‘‘It was a steep rock cliff so the fall would have been close to a free fall.’’ Geoff Wayatt
Expert witness
‘‘It was a steep rock cliff so the fall would have been close to a free fall,’’ Wayatt said.
It appeared the men were anchored at two points but both anchors failed during the fall.
It was usual for climbers to have ‘‘protection’’ such as a cam, chock, sling or piton between the belayer and the lead climber, about every 10 metres, to help arrest a fall.
However, it was uncertain whether any protection equipment had been put in place. None was found on the rope but some broken equipment was discovered.
The route was challenging and not to be taken lightly, Wayatt said.
‘‘Based on the knowledge of their past climbing experience it would appear that both Conor and Sarwan were very capable of climbing at that technical level . . . They had significant advice on route location and skills required.
‘‘They knew the area. It would appear to me that they’ve gathered a lot of information about it,’’ he said.
NZ Alpine Team member Ari Kingan, 21, died after losing his footing on a descent of Mt Aspiring in 2014, and mentor Jamie Vinton-Boot, 30, was killed in an avalanche in the Remarkables the year before.
In October 2018 Caleb Jennings died after climbing near Mt Harper, in Mid Canterbury, on October 22.
None of the deaths happened on official NZAT trips.