Missing Climbers - Aoraki/Mount Cook - Canterbury

Media Update: 30 December 2014, 2.00pm Three men are overdue returning from an attempt to summit Aoraki/Mount Cook. Three climbers left Plateau Hut at 1.30am on Monday morning, to climb via the Linda Glacier route.

They were last seen at 4.00am at Teichlemann’s Corner on Linda Glacier by a returning guide.

They were roped together when they left the hut. The Department of Conservation Alpine Rescue Team did an aerial search early this morning, but were turned eventually back by bad weather.

They did not see any sign of the missing party.

“Conditions were quite rough for flying, and the weather forecast is for deteriorating weather,” said Senior Constable Brent Swanson.

The guide who last saw them, said that conditions for climbing yesterday were reasonably good, but crevasses are an issue at the moment, with quite high freezing levels and unstable snow bridges. “At this stage we are making further enquiries as to the missing party’s intentions and plans, and closely tracking the weather.

It doesn’t look like there will be a good clearance until New Years day,” said Swanson. There is a guided climbing group based in Plateau, and the guide is providing updates on both weather and visibility, and will report back on any sightings of the missing party.

Senior Constable Brent Swanson Incident Controller

ENDS

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