Deaths halt safety record of Mt Cook

Press, 10 January 1981, Page 7

Deaths halt safety record of Mt Cook

Timaru reporter The deaths of three Japanese climbers this week brought to a halt, at least temporarily, Mount Cook’s good safety record this season in the face of mounting visitor pressure. There has been no fatality in the Mount Cook National Park since April, when two persons died. The chief ranger, Mr H. A. Youngman, has promoted safety in all aspects of park activities — at high and low altitudes, on conducted walks and excursions, on. the skifields, and on Copland Pass crossings. Weather conditions have helped keep the number of climbers in the park below last year’s level so far, and there are also restrictions on the number of climbers who can use the Plateau Hut at one time. One New Year’s Day, there were 92 climbers in the park. That number has since dropped. High, winds over five days stopped high -altitude climbing. Since early December, there had been little climbing activity, said Ranger R. J. Ryan. In recent years, all fatal accidents in the Mount Cook region have been largely attributed to inexperience' and the neglect of some basic rule of safe climbing. Foundations for three

Johns Hut and the Barron Saddle Hut had been finished and, depending on the weather, it was hoped to fly a replacement- bar-rel-shaped hut onto the site next week-end, said Mr Ryan. The old hut was blown off the saddle on to the Mueller Glacier early in 1977, with the loss of, four lives. The Malte Brun ridge Hutt was demolished in 1979 because of its dangerous position. Mr Ryan said that work was progressing on the foundations of the replacement Beetham Valley Hut, scheduled for completion in February. In 1978-79. it was estimated that 190,000 people visited the park. Of those, 91,500 made use of the park’s visitor centre, which supplies information to tourists and climbers. Mr Ryan said that there were 12,000 visitors to the park last month. So far this month, there had been 5000. Another source of satisfaction to park headquarters staff is the fact that it has been an exceptionally/good flowering season for alpine plants, which Has added to the popularity of the many walks. The last season also was remembered for the prolific flowering of tussocks throughout the parjG