Bad weather hampers recovery of mountain's latest victim

Poor weather conditions were today hampering police efforts to recover the body of an Irish tourist who died at Mt Aspiring National Park yesterday.

The 29-year-old Irishman fell 250m to his death yesterday. His death follows that of a 28-year-old German man on Tuesday who fell 100m on the notorious northwest ridge of Mt Aspiring known as The Ramp.

Police said the Irish tramper and his partner slipped on a steep snow-covered area while descending over the top of the Cascade Saddle and fell into a drainage gut about 250m below.

The female tramper was in a stable condition in Dunedin Hospital late last night with fractures to her back.

Constable Mike Johnston, of Wanaka police, today told National Radio there had been very strong winds overnight and things were not looking better today, meaning search and rescue personnel were unlikely to attempt a recovery of the body.

The forecast for the next two days was similar.

"We are not looking hopeful, but we are always looking for a window of opportunity. We've got a team on standby with a helicopter as well, so if we get the right conditions we'll go in."

The Irish tourist was this morning named as Donal Deery. The woman climbing with him was the 29-year-old doctor's partner.

Police named the German climber who fell to his death on Tuesday as Niklas Werner. Mr Werner had been living in New Zealand for the past year, attending Waikato University.

The two deaths come just days after 22-year-old Australian Marc Freedman, an experienced climber, was killed instantly when he fell 50m into a crevasse on the Bonar Glacier when descending The Ramp.

Two New Zealanders plunged to their deaths in the same spot in April last year.

Mr Johnston said the bad weather throughout December meant more than normal snow had fallen in the area, making it potentially a lot more treacherous.

- NZPA