Avalanche claims life of top ski guide

The cold weather this winter has brought powder snow skiers out in big numbers. Photo supplied

A skiing guide was killed in an avalanche yesterday in the same area where an Australian tourist was killed while skiing with the same company three weeks ago.

The 38-year-old man, who worked for Alpine Guides, was with a group of four people who were skiing on Totara Peak in the Ragged Range, west of Mt Hutt, when the avalanche occurred.

Llynden Riethmuller, an Australian heliskier, was killed on July 24 in the same area while skiing with the company.

Bryan Carter, the managing director of Alpine Guides, said last night that the firm was stunned by the loss of a colleague of 13 years.

He said the guide, who was with four clients, had been looking at the runs in the Ragged Range when he was caught directly in the avalanche about 4pm.

"He was subsequently located and dug out by other guides.

"He was unconscious and despite treatment ... over the next two hours, I understand, unfortunately he didn't survive."

Mr Carter said he did not know how long the man had been buried but the guides had returned from the rescue about 6.30pm.

He understood the four clients were not caught in the avalanche.

However, one of the members of the group suffered a serious back injury in a fall that happened about the same time, but was not thought to be related to the avalanche.

The company had rated the avalanche risk in the area yesterday as considerable, which was a step up from moderate but a step down from high, Mr Carter said.

The company would be reviewing the types of conditions it took people out in, he said.

"It's important to realise that a lot of people have been out heli-skiing over the last month in difficult conditions and with mostly very successful outcomes.

"But of course we have to look at how this happened, why it happened ... That goes without saying."

Before Mr Riethmuller was "regretfully" killed last month, the company had not had a fatality for 30 years, Mr Carter said. "Very sadly I have to say we've had two within a month."

This had been a particularly bad season for avalanches, he said.

"The hazard has been high on a higher than average number of days."

Mountain Safety Council avalanche programme manager Steve Schreiber said there had been more avalanches than usual because of rain and other weather patterns that changed the snow conditions.

He warned people to take precautions and to stick to main trails.

Alpine guide Sam Bosshard said the death yesterday of his close friend had shocked the guiding community.

"He was a very experienced guide - he'd been doing it a long time."

There have been a total of three avalanche deaths this year, coming after five years with no fatalities.

Snowboarder Ryan Campbell died after being swept away outside the Coronet Peak skifield boundary near Queenstown on August 2.

On July 23, two ski patrollers at the Remarkables, also near Queenstown, were caught in an avalanche they had set off with explosives to release an unstable slope. They were not injured.

- ADDITIONAL REPORTING: NZPA