Lost climbers' inquest: Day two underway

The photo of Hiroki Ogawa and Nicole Sutton used in the service sheet at their funeral.

The second day of an inquest into the death of two trampers who died on Mt Taranaki last year has begun in New Plymouth this morning.

Nicole Sutton, 29, and Hiroki Ogawa, 31, died after getting stranded in a blizzard on the mountain on Labour weekend last year.

They sheltered in a snow cave for two nights after bad weather left them stranded on top of the mountain during a tramping expedition.

When rescuers finally managed to reach the pair, they found Dr Ogawa already dead. Ms Sutton was alive, but she lost consciousness and died before she could be winched off the mountain.

The Auckland couple were part of the New Zealand Alpine Club's annual Labour weekend trip to Mt Taranaki.

They huddled in a snow cave they dug for themselves to shelter from the weather which closed in on the mountain on the Saturday night.

The couple were stuck on an outcrop called the Lizard on the north-western side of the mountain, near its 2500m summit, and had been communicating with police via text message. Rescuers reached them early on Monday, October 28, 2013.

Two other climbers who were also stranded on the mountain, John Salisbury, 65, and a 38-year-old woman, managed to walk down by themselves the previous day.

Yesterday Mr Salisbury told the inquest that the couple's decision to keep climbing despite worsening weather was "gung-ho". But he acknowledged the pair were experienced trampers who were meticulous with everything they did.

The inquest, in front of coroner Chris Devonport, is expected to last the week.