'They were pretty lucky': Pair believed to have triggered Mt Earnshaw avalanche

Image from a webcam in the Mt Apsiring National Park looking toward Mt Earnslaw. Photo / Supplied

Two climbers believed to have triggered an avalanche on Mt Earnslaw, near Glenorchy, this morning should count themselves lucky.

A 26-year-old man was admitted to Lakes District Hospital having sustained a dislocated hip and injuries to his sternum in the avalanche — his climbing partner, in his mid-to-late 20s, was checked at the hospital but discharged.

Sergeant Terry Wood, of Queenstown, said emergency services were alerted just before 8am after one of the men called 111 from a cell phone.

An Otago Helicopter with a Queenstown-based alpine cliff rescue team was deployed and located the pair about 2500m up the mountain, on its east face.

Sgt Wood said the pair from Auckland set out from the Esquilant Biv at 4.30am, intending to summit Mt Earnslaw's 2819m peak.

Emergency services located them around the 2500m mark, he said.

''The person I spoke to believe they've started [the avalanche].

''They've slid about 200m and come to rest on a flattish spot — there was a fairly large hole in the glacier to one side.

''They were pretty lucky to stop where they did.''

Sgt Wood said while the men had personal locator beacons (PLB), ''they were at home''.

Fortunately, in the area where they came to rest there was a ''small pocket'' of reception, enabling them to call for help