Footwear may have cost climber his life

Failure to wear his climbing boots probably cost a young Otago University student his life in Mount Aspiring Park yesterday.

Nineteen-year-old Leonard Alexander Phease, wearing only running shoes, fell 100m to his death down a steep rock snow gully while traversing a icy section of a track just below the Liverpool Hut at Mount Aspiring.

He was carrying his climbing boots.

He had been with a group of four other university students who belonged to the Otago Tramping Club.

Police Constable Emma Fleming said today the party were experienced trampers who had previously reached the summit of Mt Aspiring.

She said that Mr Phease was in sight of the Liverpool Hut when the accident happened.

He was carrying tramping boots but at the time of the fall was only wearing running shoes.

"Their intention was to climb Mt Barff the next day so obviously they had all the gear for that type of climb.

"But when they started the track he decided to be in his running shoes. He really needed to reassess as they were going along."

She said it was possible he was looking for a spot to change his footwear but was spurred on by the sight of the hut ahead.

She said the students appeared to be caught out by the difficulty of the conditions.

Wanaka search and rescue co-ordinator Sergeant Aaron Nicholson said Mr Phease tried to slow his fall but slid down the steep and rocky snow gully for about 100m before coming to rest at the bush line.

He died instantly.

He said police were deployed at 4pm yesterday after one of the members of the group raised the alarm.

The group were in their late teens and early 20s.

Mr Nicholson said three of them had been friends for some time.

They started climbing about a year ago and had climbed a number of well known peaks.

The matter had been reported to the Coroner.

- NZPA