'Mental toughness' helped tramper survive

A tramper's "mental and physical toughness" helped him survive three nights in the open after a fall, police said today.

Sergeant Peter Rix said the 28-year-old was airlifted out of the Tararua Peaks in the lower North Island after rescuers found him last night.

Cold sleeting hail and gale force winds gusting up to 150km/h had earlier prevented a helicopter search.

The man - from Scotland - had gone into the Tararua Ranges from the Kaitoke end at the weekend but slipped and fell near the Steel Ladder on Tararua Peaks.

He spent three nights in the open with gale force winds and cold, sleeting rain

Mr Rix said the man had found it difficult to return to the track carrying a full pack.

"He stripped down his pack to the bare survival essentials. It was his mental and physical toughness that got him through."

- NZHERALD STAFF