Well-known guide among climbers killed on NZ’s most deadly peak

Christchurch: A well-known, experienced mountain guide was one of two climbers killed on Monday night after falling on New Zealand’s highest and most deadly peak.

Summit Explorers co-owner Thomas Vialletet, a father-of-two, and a US man he was guiding died on Monday night on Aoraki/Mount Cook.

Their bodies were recovered from the mountain about midday on Tuesday, police have confirmed.

Emergency services received reports of four climbers needing help on the west side of Aoraki/Mount Cook about 11.20pm on Monday (9.20pm AEDT), police said.

Two of the climbers were rescued uninjured.

New Zealand Mountain Safety Council chief executive Mike Daisley said the group was a team of four – two guides and two clients – completing a grand traverse of New Zealand’s highest peak in good conditions.

“Mountaineering has very little margin for error. Even the most qualified professionals cannot eliminate all risk,” he said, noting that the deaths of three climbers on the same mountain last December were a reminder of the “high-consequence environment of our alpine mountains – especially our highest peak”. Their bodies were never recovered.

New Zealand Mountain Guiding Association president Anna Keeling said Vialletet was a respected and valued member, and the association was now focused on supporting his family, including his partner and children.

Vialletet grew up in the French Alps, where he climbed, skied and explored mountains for more than two decades before his quest for mountain adventures brought him to New Zealand, his business profile says.

Canterbury Aoraki area commander Inspector Vicki Walker said when emergency services were alerted to trouble on the mountain on Monday night, a helicopter from Queenstown flew to Wanaka and picked up the Wanaka Alpine Cliff Rescue team, while a helicopter from Dunedin flew straight to the mountain and began searching.

The helicopter from Dunedin located two climbers in the group, who were airlifted from the mountain about 2.15am on Tuesday (local time).

The two helicopters completed extensive searches through the early morning for Vialletet and the American man, as conditions on the mountain were calm and clear, but they were unsuccessful.

A climber who didn’t want to be named said multiple climbing parties were on the mountain on Monday.

The climber said being on the summit at that time of night was unusual, but “it sometimes happens due to slow-going on more committing routes like the East Ridge, South Face or Sheila Face”.

According to another climber based at Mount Cook Village, conditions on the mountain had been “very good” recently, although conditions could change “all the time”.

“I think the summit ridge is very icy, which can be typical, meaning any slip would have dire consequences,” the climber said.

The mountain has a fierce reputation globally and is known as New Zealand’s deadliest peak.

Stuff.co.nz

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