What to expect on the most dangerous Kiwi hikes. Mountain Safety Council
A hike at the bottom of the Tararua Range has been identified as potentially New Zealand's most dangerous.
Tararua Southern Crossing near Wellington and the Kapiti Coast has one fatality per 5.6 search and Rescue call outs. This is well above the national average of one fatality in every 105 rescue mission for trampers, according to the Mountain Safety Council.
The summer season sees New Zealanders donning packs and heading for the tracks for the peak walking season.
Venturing high into the maunga and along our coasts, it's not surprising that this is also the busiest time for New Zealand's Search and Rescue Teams. Every summer there are around about 400 call outs by Kiwis needing assistance while in the wild.
New Zealand Search and Rescue (NZSAR) data show another set of perilous peaks between December and January. Each summer, without fail, callouts spike around New Year.
Even with closed borders NZSAR is being kept busy.
Trampers on the Gillespie Pass Circuit, in Mt Aspiring National Park. Photo / Mountain Safety Council
"There's a common misconception that international tourists are responsible for the majority of SAR operations in New Zealand," says Tania Seward, a spokesperson for SAR.
Prior to 2020 and borders closing, overseas travellers made up around 12 to 14 per cent of all call outs. This rapidly dropped to an average of less that 1 per cent over the last 12 months.
"Lockdowns do make it pretty hard to compare year on year," she says, but overall call outs are consistent with a four year average, tracking just below last year.
SAR doesn't track recreation participation levels or exact routes that hikers were on. This makes it difficult to track down New Zealand's most dangerous trails or the number of rescues per hiker.
The Mountain Safety Council has a better idea of the lay of the land. Using ACC reports and search and rescue records on trails, there are a number of tracks that stand out as more perilous than the rest.
There is a national average of 540 hikers that come into difficulty each year, according to the Mountain Safety Council. Of these call outs, there is an average of 5.13 fatalities.
Although the six tracks identified are equally dangerous for unprepared hikers, they are dangerous in their own way.
It's only looking closer at the tracks, we can see the hazards and hopefully prepare for them.
Popular peaks like Mount Taranaki and the Tongariro Circuit are predictably busy. Close to urban areas and mostly day trips, it's not surprising. However the severity of the call outs for under-prepared hikers is often not serious, and rarely fatal.
The Taranaki Maunga is a thrilling summer day hike but deadly in winter. Photo / Thomas Bywater
Elsewhere, less visited trails and remote tracks can prove more deadly. Hikes such as the Gillespie Pass in Mount Aspiring national park see fewer, more serious callouts.
With borders closed and Kiwis looking to push further into the backyard, some hikes have seen drastic changes in foot traffic.
"While across the board there are more New Zealanders out tramping it's not consistent. There are some locations which have seen a drip in numbers," says Nathan Watson, Operations Manager for mountain safety council.
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing, formerly New Zealand's busiest track, is down 75 per cent in trail numbers.
"It's not a perfect replacement."
DoC's visitor Safety Manager Andy Roberts said that comparisons are hard to draw on call out numbers, and there are many factors that affect a track's safety.
"The summer peaks are not a surprise, as most outdoor recreation occurs over the summer months. Winter participation in most outdoor activities really drops off," he says.
As most skiing and winter activities take place in managed ski areas SAR activity in some areas drop to zero.
Comparing SAR callouts is far from a perfect method of comparing tracks' relative danger.
"There are other variables to consider, such as the skill and fitness of the walker, how easy or difficult a track is and what hazards there are, including seasonal weather hazards."
All trails can be hazardous to the unprepared.
Roberts advises all hikers to check the latest track warnings and DoCs 'know before you go' information. This can be found online or in DoC information centres.
"It's easy for people to under-estimate the potential hazards on a track, and to overestimate the skills and experience that they have," says.
The following tramping trips have been hotspots for safety incidents over this period. See how they compare against each other and the national average.
Tararua Ranges are deceptively close to Wellington and Upper Hut. Photo / Mountain Safety Council
Tararua Southern Crossing, Kaitoke National Park
The Advanced three-days hike from the Otaki Forks to the Wairarapa Plains is deceptively close to Kapiti, Wellington and Upper Hut. However the track has a reputation for extremely changeable weather and some of the strongest winds in the country.
In the past ten years there have been only 16 callouts, but MSC says the ratio of fatalities is alarming.
One fatality per 5.6 call outs.
The Gillespie Pass is one of the most beautiful but treacherous hikes in New Zealand. Photo / Mountain Safety Council
Gillespie Pass Circuit, Mt Aspiring
The Gillespie Pass in Mt Aspiring National Park is one of Aotearoa's most hazardous alpine tramps. Sheer lookouts and multiple creek crossings have, at times, proven fatal to walkers. In particular the Makarora River crossing is a hazardous feature that has accounted for several of the 27 trampers needing assistance on the track over the past 10 years.
One fatality per 15 call outs.
Mt Taranaki is a draw for hikers around New Plymouth but has a dangerous side. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Taranaki Maunga, Mt Egmont
The focal volcano of the Taranaki region is a popular but challenging track that climbs sharply to 2,518m. There is an average of 9 callouts a year. The challenging summer day hike becomes serious mountaineering territory over winter, with a very narrow walking season.
DoC describes it as a rewarding hike for "fit and well-equipped trampers" but requires snow and ice equipment and experience to between May to November.
There have been one fatality per 26.75 call outs. All fatalities have occured during peak winter conditions.
The Angelus Hut, Nelson Lakes. Photo / Povl Abrahamsen, Flickr
Robert Ridge Route, Nelson Lakes
'Angelus Hut' is perched on the Robert Ridge joining sits in a natural bowl on the side of lake Angelus, above the Rotoiti and Rotoroa Lakes. The access to Angelus Hut was identified as a hotspot for tramping incidents in New Zealand. The alpine terrain and sheer ridge is potentially very hazardous
There are seasonal restrictions from May to October with additional winter hazards including avalanche risk and sub-zero temperatures making access to the routes to Angelus Hut extremely hazardous.
With two recent fatalities, in 2018 and 2019, from walkers trying to access the high hut. Spectacular views have made it increasingly popular, with overnight visitation increasing in the past five years to approximately 5,000 per year. It has become the focus of a Tasman District Police and MSC to improve safety and awareness of hikers accessing the hut.
One fatality per 30 call outs.
Prepared hiker walking from Paradise and Rees Dart valley. Photo / Mountain Safety Council
Tongariro Northern circuit, Tongariro
The Tongariro Northern Circuit and the Alpine Crossing Day Walk are some of the North Island's most popular trails. Although with international hikers locked out of the country the popular tourist route is well down on its normal numbers.
Pre 2020 75 per cent who did the crossing were international.
Tongariro and Ruapehu still has one of the highest numbers of search and rescue call outs in the country. The beautiful but exposed mountain crossing is a busy spot for SAR.
However, with one fatality for every 107 call outs, it is just above the national average.
