A climber who fell 600 meters (1,970 feet) down the side of one of New Zealand’s most perilous mountains was “exceptionally lucky” to live after landing on snow, police said on Monday.The man stumbled while he was moving with a group of climbers toward Mount Taranaki’s snow-capped peak on New Zealand’s North Island. The unnamed climber, according to senior constable Vaughan Smith, fell on Saturday afternoon and suffered just minor wounds.
“The ice had weakened due to the previous spring weather, and the climber’s fall was cushioned by the snow. He is extraordinarily fortunate to still be alive, Smith stated in a statement. These are difficult subjects, and mistakes can have severe repercussions.The climber dropped in the same spot where two other climbers perished in falls in 2021. After falling from the same summit in 2016, a French climber perished.
According to New Zealand’s conservation service, Mount Taranaki requires “special skill and preparation” because of the possibility of an avalanche and the chilly subzero conditions.Because of its reputation as one of the “deadliest mountains” in the nation, the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council defines Mount Taranaki as difficult for climbers year-round.
