Snow breaks climber's 25m fall

The chopper crew helps the man who had fallen about 25m into Hongi's Valley, while climbing the north ridge. Photo / Youthtown Trust Rescue Helicopter

Do you know the injured man? Email newsdesk@nzherald.co.nz

A man who fell 25m from an icy mountain track is extremely lucky to be alive, say his rescuers.

The man was climbing the north ridge of Mt Taranaki yesterday morning when he fell and landed on the hard ice below. Youthtown Trust Rescue Helicopter pilot Nat Every said it was not clear how the man fell.

"It seems to be quite a well-marked track in the summer, but in the winter with the snow it gets a bit slippery," he said.

"Down below [where the man was located] there is another reasonable-sized bluff. He managed to self-arrest on some snow, but if he had continued to slip down he undoubtedly would have gone off that and made his injuries considerably worse - if not life threatening."

Mr Every lowered Taranaki Alpine Cliff Rescue members Pete Lethbridge and Jeremy Beckers to the injured man's position, in an area known as Hongi's Valley.

The man had lower leg injuries and Mr Every said he was in considerable pain.

He was winched into the helicopter and taken to Taranaki Base Hospital.

"He made a couple of quite loud screams as he was lifted. He was obviously in a considerable amount of pain," Mr Every said. "The alpine rescue guys are limited in the pain relief they can give. Their job is to get the injured person off the mountain to safety."