Aoraki Mt Cook rescue: Memorial service planned for missing climber

A memorial service is being planned for Kurt Blair, 56, after he is presumed to have suffered a fatal fall on Aoraki Mt Cook.

• Three men haven’t been found on Aoraki Mt Cook after they were reported missing on Monday, December 2.
• Weather conditions have put the search on hold, as strong winds make it impossible to fly over the mountain range.
• A memorial service has been planned for one of the missing men, Kurt Blair.

As the search for the three climbers missing from Aoraki/Mt Cook enters its third day on hold, family and friends have started plans to say goodbye.

The missing men are Kurt Blair, 56, Carlos Romero, 50, both from the US, and Canadian.

A memorial service is being planned for 56-year-old Kurt Blair.

New Zealand authorities informed families of the trio that they had spotted gear belonging to the party, indicating a fatal fall.

The friends and family of Kurt Blair have since started planning a memorial service in celebration of his life.

“It is with a heavy heart that we put this together. Please join us for a celebration of life for Kurt Blair on Friday, December 6, 2024 at 4:00pm,” they said in a post online.

Laura Lisowski, a friend of Blair’s, told the Herald he was an “absolutely magical human being”.

“I’ve climbed many places with many people around the world and never has a guide (or person, in general, frankly) made such an impression on me as Kurt,” she said.

She described him as an “extremely dynamic individual” who was full of wisdom and would never miss a “witty remark”.

“But most of all - he was incredibly balanced and kind ... ego didn’t exist in the mountains with Kurt in the same way it does with so many other mountain folks.

“Passion, adventure and stoke know no age ... his life was truly just beginning, which was why it was such an enormous loss,” she said.

In a post online, Silverton Avalanche School in the US said it had been notified the climbers had succumbed to a fatal fall.

The school paid tribute to Blair online, remembering him as the “nicest guy” who came from a “proud lineage of mountain adventurers”.

Kurt Blair was from Durango, in Colorado.

The three climbers visiting New Zealand were reported overdue to return from their planned ascent of Aoraki Mt Cook on Monday.

They flew into Plateau Hut at 3.30pm on Saturday, planning to summit Aoraki Mt Cook via Zurbriggen Ridge.

Aoraki area commander Inspector Vicki Walker said they did not make their flight out at 8.30am on Monday and were subsequently reported overdue.

Walker told Newstalk ZB today they had “grave concerns for the missing people”.

Three climbers have been missing from Aoraki Mt Cook since Monday, December 2. Photo / George Heard

“It’s an absolute tragedy and it’s very, very difficult for people to go through the processes, especially when we can’t provide all the information that we’d like to,” she said.

She revealed they could not continue their search today amid “severely high winds”.

“Mother Nature played her trump card and brought up some severe high winds that proved we couldn’t operate safely,” she said.

Walker said their next opportunity will be tomorrow morning.

“That’ll give us a better indication about where we’re at,” she said.

Katie Oliver is a Christchurch-based Multimedia Journalist and breaking news reporter.