NZ alpine guide and tourists die in climbing accident

The accident happened in Aoraki Mt Cook National Park. File picture / Christchurch Star

One of the three people killed in the Aoraki Mt Cook National Park today was one of this country's most experienced female alpine guides.

Erica Beuzenberg, 41, who worked for Lake Tekapo-based Alpine Recreation was one of two guides taking six climbers through the Ball Pass in the Southern Alps this morning.

The other two were her clients - John Lowndes, aged 59, a salesman, from Stoke on Trent, England and Kazuhiro Kotani, aged 29, of Hyogo, Japan.

She was roped to the two when one of the men slipped on the west side of the Pass.

He tried to save himself from sliding with his ice axe but only managed to unbalance Ms Beuzenberg and the other client.

All three slid down the ice before falling over an ice cliff. Landing far below they slid another 200m before stopping.

The five others in the climbing party called for help but the group were all dead when search and rescue teams arrived.

Their bodies remain on the mountain as weather conditions made it too difficult to retrieve them.

All five survivors were helicoptered to Mt Cook village.

Gottlieb Braun-Elwert who runs Alpine Recreation issued a statement saying Ms Beuzenberg had been guiding without incident for his company for 16 years.

"Both her guiding record and her personal climbing record are outstanding."

He said that in 1989 she became the first person to complete winter ascents of all NZ 3000m peaks in one single winter. She was the first woman to climb Aoraki Mt Cook in winter, the first woman to climb the Balfour face of Mt Tasman in winter, the first woman to climb Cerro Fitz Roy in winter, one of the most difficult mountains on earth.

"Erica had countless weeks of summer and winter guiding to her credit both overseas and in New Zealand. It is an unspeakable tragedy that such an experienced guide died on the job on what is perceived to be easy terrain."The 2105m Ball Pass climb crosses the Mt Cook range from Tasman Valley to Hooker Valley. The trek has some untracked terrain.

A trekking company website describes the Ball Pass as a demanding three-day trek.

Guided walkers spend two nights at the fully furbished Caroline Hut at 1830m.

Police say Ball Pass is a low-altitude route with a very narrow ridge with sheer drops either side.

More than 200 people have lost their lives on the snow and ice in the National Park in the last century.

- additional reporting NZPA