Solo Climbers Worry Safety Committee

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31248, 21 December 1966, Page 26

Solo Climbers Worry Safety Committee

Trampers and climbers who went away on solo trips were causing the Canterbury Mountain Safety Committee much concern, the chairman (Mr L. J. Coughlan) said yesterday. Mr Coughlan said search and rescue parties had been out twice during the year looking for persons on such trips. He said that no matter how experienced a person might be, the dangers of going away alone were enormous.

“If experienced mountaineers can lose their lives, then so can the inexperienced,” Mr Coughlan said. Canterbury had some particular mountain safety features, in that the mountains were accessible to young persons within a few hours of travelling. Because of this, the Canterbury Mountaineering Club had undertaken a positive campaign in mountain safety. Mr Coughlan urged that when climbing in the Hermitage area or at Arthur’s Pass, persons should sign the intentions book at the park headquarters and sign out on return.

“In other areas, it is important that somebody be given details of routes, length of the trip and, above all, estimated times of arrival,” he said. In all areas books at huts should be used to provide a record of intended climbs. “But the thing that must be always remembered is that persons should climb safely and within individual capabilities.”

Exposure was always a big danger, Mr Coughlan said. The variability of New Zealand weather was great and the rapidity as well as the severity of the deterioration increased with altitude. He quoted a draft of a manual of mountain safety which said that exposure resulted from the severe chilling of the body surface, leading to a progressive fall of body temperature which could bring, with startling suddenness, unconsciousness and death.

During the year many courses on mountain safety and on recognised techniques had been held, he said. The Royal New Zealand Air Force had held a Dominion Air Training Corps rescue course as part of survival training, and instruction had been given in high level mountain rescue more recently at Castle Rock.

Mr Coughlan said that a colour film on instruction in snowcraft had been made, and a course in bushcraft would be held in February.