Massive snow dump creates problems for North Island too

The Southern Alps. Photo / Dean Purcell

The North Island is now feeling the effects of the huge snow dump which has created hazardous conditions in the Southern Alps.

The Department of Conservation has issued avalanche warnings for the Tongariro National Park, including the popular Tongariro Crossing walking track.

While avalanche control work is carried out on ski areas, it is not undertaken elsewhere in the national park.

DOC is warning alpine trampers to be particularly cautious and make sure they get up-to-date avalanche information before heading out.

"As well as being well equipped and experienced in alpine conditions, anyone going into back country areas of Tongariro National Park, including the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, should be aware that there are avalanche hazards," said DOC Turangi Taupo area manager Dave Lumley.

On the alpine crossing, the area between Blue Lake and Ketetahi Hut was a well-recognised avalanche area where particular care was needed in the current conditions, he said.

Trampers are advised to consult avalanche information website www.avalanche.net.nz for up-to-date details on avalanche risks around the country. Many parts are rated as high risk.

DOC's warning follows a rough weekend in the South Island where nine people were rescued from mountain areas which were hazardous, and alpine safety experts have spoken out about foolhardy expeditions into the backcountry.

A group of Australian tourists stranded in blizzard conditions in Aoraki-Mount Cook National Park on Saturday were "typically ill-prepared", New Zealand Land Search and Rescue spokesman Phil Melchior said.

Inexperienced alpine tourists were an ongoing problem here and accounted for 30 per cent of back country fatalities, he said.

"People come to New Zealand and don't understand just how fast the weather can change."

The six Australian tourists were trapped for 36 hours by a blizzard which triggered avalanches and threatened to sweep them away.

They had no guide, avalanche beacons or probes, snow shoes or skis and only one shovel between them.

"They are extremely lucky to be alive in the circumstances, the chances of the rescue party finding six corpses were at least as high as finding six live people."

Mountain Safety Council avalanche programme manager Steve Schreiber said the tourists were foolish and needlessly endangered the lives of their rescuers.

Mountaineers needed to take more responsibility for their own safety instead of expecting to be bailed out, he said.

In the second incident of the weekend, three men were caught in an avalanche while heli-skiing on Temple Peak, near Glenorchy, Otago.

A man in his mid-30s was buried under about 2m of snow after the party was struck by an avalanche at 3.50pm yesterday.

The trio was airlifted from the peak and taken to Lakes District Hospital at Queenstown.

The man buried in the snow was today in a stable condition with suspected hypothermia.

The group had defied safety warnings and risked both their own lives and those of rescuers, say police.

Mr Schreiber said people should stay off steep terrain - anything above 30 degrees in angle - in the current mountain conditions.

- NZPA