Mt Hutt's year from Hell

Photos / Simon Baker, Matt Hooker

It's been a tough year for Mt Hutt skifield, with three deaths, an avalanche and now 1200 skiers trapped overnight in bad weather.

Mt Hutt skifield boss Dave Wilson said he did not think last night, when bad weather trapped mountaingoers, would turn skiers off Mt Hutt.

He said skifield staff had received a lot of positive comments from skiers.

"Many said: 'Hey, well done.' Because it is not an easy job deciding to close the road. We had people wanting to go last night," Mr Wilson said.

Skiers slept the night in alpine cafes and were given a cheap, hot dinner and a free hot breakfast this morning.

Mr Wilson said it had been a tough year.

"But at the end of the day, these things happen. We look at our systems and the decisions we made but I feel we have a high level of safety," Mr Wilson said.

Many spoke positively to the Heraldabout their experience on the mountain overnight.

Christchurch woman Alexandria Blair described the night as "like being at a teenage girl sleepover".

Asked if the news of the deaths, avalanche and unscheduled overnight stay had put her off Mt Hutt, Ms Blair said she was not discouraged from returning to the mountain "even slightly".

"I think they were all just [examples of] really bad luck," she said.

Rough year for skifield

Christchurch man Arthur Richardson, 60, died when his car crashed on the access road in June.

Three days later an American woman died after falling 160m. Last month, Dimity Anne Tomkins was skiing with her daughter when she fell about 500m down a valley.

Ms Tomkins had a helmet on but was skiing outside the skifield boundary. She died of her injuries in Christchurch Hospital.

Earlier this week the mountain was evacuated after an avalanche partially buried two skiers. Neither were injured. The following day, a snowboarder was airlifted off the mountain with head injuries after a fall.

The year so far

August 12: Skiers trapped on Mt Hutt overnight after white-out conditions.

August 11: Snowboarder airlifted from Mt Hutt after suffering head injuries in a fall.

August 10: An avalanche on Mt Hutt partially buries two skiers.

August 6: Christchurch snowboarder, 30, dies after sliding about 300m at Mt Hutt Skifield.

July 12: Dimity Anne Tomkins, 54, falls about 500m while skiing with her teenage daughter on Mt Hutt.

June 17: 21-year-old American woman dies after slipping 160m while skiing on Mt Hutt.

June 14: Christchurch man Arthur Richardson, 60, died after his car ran off the mountain access road.

- NZ Herald Staff