An IFMGA-qualified mountain guide who died alongside a client while trying to ascend Aoraki Mt Cook last night has been described as an “integral part” of the guiding community.
Earlier, Sergeant Kevin McErlain said a group was attempting to summit Aoraki Mt Cook when two of them, connected by a rope, fell close to the summit.
It was not yet clear what nationalities the climbers are.
According to the New Zealand Mountain Guides Association (NZMGA), the pair were part of a team of four, including two guides and two clients, completing a grand traverse of Aoraki/Mount Cook.
NZMGA president Anna Keeling said the guide, who is yet to be formally named by the New Zealand Police, was a respected and valued member of the NZMGA.
“They were an integral part of our guiding community,” Keeling said.
A formal investigation into the incident will also take place.
“There will be an opportunity for the NZMGA to understand and share more about what happened in this tragic accident,” Keeling said.
“NZMGA’s focus is now on those most affected, and our priority is supporting the family, including their partner and children, as well as our wider guiding community during this extremely difficult time.”
The NZMGA website reads that an IFMGA-qualified mountain guide is the highest guiding qualification available. It is recognised worldwide and shows a guide is qualified in both climbing and ski disciplines and can guide internationally.
Canterbury Aoraki Area Commander Inspector Vicki Walker said at about 11.20pm last night that police were made aware of four climbers needing assistance on the west side of the mountain.
“A helicopter from Queenstown flew to Wānaka and picked up the Wānaka Alpine Cliff Rescue Team, while a helicopter from Dunedin flew straight to the mountain and began searching,” Walker said.
“The helicopter from Dunedin located two climbers in the group, who were airlifted from the mountain at around 2.15am.
“The two helicopters completed extensive searches throughout the night for the remaining two climbers, as conditions on the mountain were calm and clear, but were unsuccessful.”
Walker said the two missing climbers were located deceased at about 7am today.
She said police worked alongside the Wānaka Alpine Cliff Rescue Team and the Department of Conservation to recover the bodies of the two climbers.
“The two climbers who were airlifted last night were uninjured, and support is being provided.”
Mountain Safety Council chief executive Mike Daisley said this time of year is the busy mountaineering season, with many climbers heading into the mountains.
“Recent fine weather has drawn many mountaineers to the high alpine, with multiple guided and recreational teams summiting Aoraki/Mount Cook over the past week,” Daisley said.
“Current conditions on the mountain are considered ideal for mountaineering, with firm overnight snow conditions and well-filled glaciers following early spring snowstorms.”
Department of Conservation (DoC) Aoraki Mt Cook operations manager Sally Jones said the Aoraki/Mt Cook Search and Rescue (SAR) team responded to the incident and are now back in full operation despite suspending services earlier this year.
The team were suspended from June 20 until September 20, after dropping to just one member following several staff departures.
Jones confirmed a member of DoC Aoraki SAR assisted in the rescue and recovery operation.
“A DoC Aoraki SAR staff member was picked up from Wānaka last night and flown back to Aoraki/Mount Cook,” Jones said.
“The DoC Aoraki SAR team then responded to the rescue and recovery incidents on Aoraki/Mount Cook.”
While suspended, rescue operations in the Southern Alps were co-ordinated by the police or the Rescue Co-ordination Centre, who could deploy nearby Alpine Cliff Rescue teams, LandSar volunteers, or helicopter crews out of Wānaka and Queenstown.
At the time, DoC said the move was not unusual for the time of year.
“We typically see staff members stay on the team for a few years, and the end of the summer season is a natural point to step away, so this is not unexpected. These are intense roles due to the nature of the work,” Jones said.
Known for its technically challenging faces, Aoraki Mt Cook has earned its title of New Zealand’s deadliest peak.
The mountain towers above its neighbours at 3724m and can be seen from the West Coast as far north as Greymouth.
It’s a mountaineering marvel that adventurers and tourists have flocked to for more than a century – and where 62 people have vanished without a trace.
In December 2024, American climbers Kurt Blair, 56, Carlos Romero, 50, and an unnamed Canadian national died on Aoraki Mt Cook.
The trio were reported overdue to return from their planned ascent of the mountain.
They flew into Plateau Hut at 3.30pm on Saturday November 30, planning to summit via Zurbriggen Ridge.
But they did not turn up for their 8.30am flight on Monday December 2.
A search and rescue operation was launched for the group.
A helicopter then found further climbing-related items on the mountain, including a top and energy gels.
Drone footage showed where the climbers attempted to traverse the slopes below a ridge.
Their bodies were never recovered.
Jazlyn Whales is a multimedia journalist based in the Christchurch newsroom.