NZ climber missing on Alaskan peak

A leading New Zealand climber is missing on one of North America's highest mountains, Alaska's Mt Foraker.

Taihape-born Karen McNeill, 37, set out on the climb on May 14 and was due back on May 28. A search including helicopters was started for McNeill and her American climbing partner Sue Nott, 36, last Thursday.

The pair set out to climb 5304m Mt Foraker, which is 20km southwest of Mt McKinley, North America's highest mountain. They took 14 days' food.

McNeill, a professional mountaineer based in Canada, is considered one of New Zealand's leading woman alpine climbers.

One of her climbing partners, Pat Deavoll, a Wanaka journalist, said last night she was confident McNeill and Nott would still be alive.

"She [McNeill] is incredibly tough. That's probably her main forte, her ability to stick it out."

Deavoll said they would probably be dehydrated because their cooking fuel would have run out so they could no longer melt snow.

Alaska's Anchorage Daily News reports that a backpack belonging to one of the climbers has been found. Containing hand warmers and a radio, it had been ripped and was thought to have fallen from further up the mountain. The climbers' intended route was up Infinite Spur, a steep ridge considered a hard climb. Their tracks have been spotted within 300m of the summit.

A US National Park Service spokeswoman said the searchers believed the pair were still alive, despite avalanches in the area.

Deavoll said McNeill's sister had gone to Alaska to be closer to the rescue operation.

McNeill has climbed extensively in Alaska and on other continents, including in China.