Meandering goats, cow bells and jaw-droppingly beautiful views bemuse Herald cartoonist Rod Emmerson in the Swiss Alps.

Families can enjoy a close encounter with Aoraki/Mt Cook 'The Cloud Piercer' from the comfort of the valley floor, finds Paul Rush.

Mark Inglis tells of the charity which sees him taking Kiwis to the Himalaya.

NZers can now have their say on whether the South Ridge of Aoraki Mount Cook should be renamed as 'Hillary Ridge'. The Geographic Board today opened a three month-public consultation.

It's been a tough year for Mt Hutt skifield, with three deaths, an avalanche and now 1200 skiers trapped overnight in bad weather.

Many of the skiers enjoyed their night on Mt Hutt, including a quiz, hot food, and "spooning" - while at least two now have a coffee date.

After three deaths in three months and yesterday's avalanche on Mt Hutt, a snowboarder is now in Christchurch Hospital with serious head injuries after another accident today.

A skier caught in an avalanche on Mt Hutt has described how he fought to stay on top of the snow.

An avalanche closed Mt Hutt today but the mountain has now reopened and though some skiers were partially buried, no one was hurt.

A climber plunged 300m to his death in front of dozens of horrified skiers on Mt Ruapehu yesterday.

A Christchurch man has died from injuries after falling about 300m at Mt Hutt Ski Area, the third skiing fatality on the mountain this year.

A prominent ridge on Aoraki/Mount Cook, first climbed by Sir Edmund Hillary more than 60 years ago, is proposed to be renamed Hillary Ridge.

The Auckland City Council has been accused of hypocrisy after ignoring the rules designed to protect the area's volcanic cones.

British climber Peter Kinloch was on the roof of the world, in bright sunlight, taking pictures of the Himalayas below. Minutes later, he went blind.