Lost climbers: No 'window of opportunity'

Hiroki Ogawa and Nicole Sutton climbing on Mt Ruapehu in August.

Rescuers have denied there was a "window of opportunity" to rescue two climbers, who later died stranded on top of Mt Taranaki, on the evening before searchers reached them.

Nicole Sutton, 29, and Hiroki Ogawa, 31, died after becoming trapped in a blizzard on the mountain on Labour Weekend last year.

They were part of an Auckland alpine tramping club trip, but became separated from the rest of the group.

On the second day of an expected week-long inquest into their deaths, in front of coroner Chris Devonport, rescuers involved in the operation told of "horrific" weather conditions that dashed efforts to reach them.

A number of rescue groups were pushed back down the mountain due to strong winds and driving freezing rain which was solidifying to ice on the backpacks of rescuers, including one group that came within 150m of the couple's location.

The weather forecast was poor and was not expected to break until Monday, October 28, rescuers said.

However, counsel for the Sutton and Ogawa families, Hanne Janes, challenged that, saying Ms Sutton sent a text about 6.10pm on the Sunday saying the mountain was clearing and a "window of opportunity" had opened.

Rescuers from the Ruapehu Alpine Rescue Organisation (Raro) who had been drafted in to help with the rescue efforts, had also reported being able to see the top of the mountain for a half hour period, she said.

But Michael Johns, of Taranaki Alpine Cliff Rescue, Megan Stewart, a St John paramedic, and Paul Andreassend, a medic with Raro, who all took part in the rescue, said such instances were not enough to send a group up the mountain.

"The windows of opportunity come and go very, very quickly," Ms Stewart said.

Mr Andreassend described it as "very brief" and something he only "vaguely" remembered.

"It was going to come and go," he said. "[If we had climbed] I would have got [up] there and sat there in the cold."

It would have put rescuers at risk, he said, because a helicopter would not have been able to gain access.

"The wind wasn't dropping, and it was clear only for a brief moment."

Ms Sutton had been suffering from hypothermia from around 9.45pm on Saturday, and by Sunday evening she and Dr Ogawa were both viewed as having severe hypothermia. Any attempt to stretcher them off the mountain may have put them at risk of cardiac arrest, he said. The least "jerky" method would be to airlift them out.

Mr Andreassend conceded that if rescuers had managed to reach them earlier they may have been able to slow their cooling.

But he questioned why the Raro team was forced to drive the four hours from National Park to Mt Taranaki instead of being helicoptered in.

It took 24 hours from when an initial text for assistance was sent to Raro at 3am on Sunday to when Mr Andreassend set off up the mountain at 3am on Monday. Two other teams set off around midnight.

"I have spoken to a number of the guys about it and getting there early is very important. I believe there's multiple helicopters in New Zealand that could have been utilised."

Mr Andreassend's team reached Dr Ogawa and Ms Sutton about 7.30am on Monday, but were too late to save them. Dr Ogawa was already dead, and Ms Sutton later lost consciousness and died before she could be winched off the mountain.

Earlier the inquest heard how Ms Sutton may have had an "emotional response" to witnessing a fellow tramper slip and fall 150m, which may have rocked her confidence and contributed to a slow descent.

The couple had stayed behind to summit the mountain with fellow trampers John Salisbury and Kirsten Spencer when the rest of their tramping group had "bailed" due to bad weather conditions and cold.

However, as the foursome made their way down the north ridge, it is believed Ms Sutton slipped and knocked into Ms Spencer who then fell and injured her leg.

Alpine club climber Rowan Smith said he believed that would have affected Ms Sutton.

"She would have had an emotional response ... that she could have killed someone.

"I believe, that would have caused her to perhaps lose some degree of confidence."

The inquest continues.