Technique to blame for climbers' deaths, coroner finds

Erica Beuzenberg

Three climbers roped together plunged to their deaths when one of them slipped because the "short-roping" technique was being used incorrectly, a coroner has found.

Climbing guide Erica Jane Beuzenberg, 41, was roped to clients Kazuhiro Kotani, 29, of Japan, and John William Lowndes, 58, of England, when all three fell to their deaths at Ball Pass in the Aoraki-Mt Cook National Park on March 9 last year.

They had set out with another guide and clients on March 7 on the three-day trek across the Mt Cook Range from the Tasman Glacier to the Hooker Valley.

The trio had come to a stop on a 30-degree ice-covered slope in "marginal conditions", when Mr Kotani slipped and was able to arrest his fall, but Mr Lowndes was then caught and fell, and all three plunged 200m or more.

In his findings released yesterday, Timaru coroner Bernard MacGeorge ruled the short-roping technique adopted by Ms Beuzenberg was not carried out properly when the trio fell.

"Erica had decided, based on her training and experience, that John and Kazuhiro should be short-roped for confidence and that the traverse could safely be made by all.

"Short-roping requires that the rope be tight between the client and the guide. It is clear that this was not the case at the time Kazuhiro slipped," Mr MacGeorge said.

"I am satisfied that while Erica was concentrating on providing safety for her clients on the next section of their traverse she was caught off guard and suddenly so, when Kazuhiro slipped."

Mr MacGeorge thought the hard, icy surface conditions were marginal for the trek with inexperienced clients.

"I also am of the view that in these conditions, having two heavier, snow-inexperienced clients short-roped to a lighter guide was a significant added risk factor and in this case clearly played a fatal part."

Despite the incident, Mr MacGeorge paid tribute to Ms Beuzenberg.

"Erica, I am satisfied, was a very experienced guide and was known for her concern for her clients' safety and comfort," he said.

"It is therefore particularly sad and distressing," he said, "that such a guide should lose her own life and those of her clients when in the very course of trying to ensure their continued safety."


LEARNING FROM TRIO'S MISFORTUNE

Coroner Bernard MacGeorge made three recommendations:

* That the Department of Conservation, with guiding company Alpine Recreation Canterbury, consider guidelines about the Ball Pass crossing.

* That Alpine Recreation ensure its guides are fully aware of having short-roping techniques in place at all times and clients are made aware it does not guarantee absolute safety.

* That the New Zealand Mountain Guides Association considers the findings and investigates whether any refinement is needed to its guidelines.