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guide killed on Mt Cook 6-Jan-2008 At 12:39:30 AM Epic Steve

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Unfortunately, it is a glimpse of the way mountaineering is going, when someone/anyone, can throw hundreds of thousands of dollars into the ring, to be dragged up the Seven Summits, and STILL not have the confidence or moderate alpine skills needed to ascend the Linda Glacier route (technically the easiest) on Aoraki (Mt Cook). Could you imagine telling your friends you have just climbed Mt Everest, and thay ask you to tie a figure of eight knot, and your reply is."...a figure...of what??? "

They were above the Linda Shelf and the Summit Rocks, both of which are considered the cruxes of the route. The final snow slopes to the summit (NE Ridge) are technically easy, although a tad exposed, but usually pose no real danger unless high winds are involved..which would lead to either pitched climbing, or better yet, a safe retreat! We would have to assume that the guide was not belayed by his client (God forbid a bumbly client should be asked to do this...!) and that he was simply running the rope out. He seems to have been tied to the lower anchor/ice screw(s) with the other (client's) end. Guides spend many years training for their occupation and shouldn't simply fall off a mountain (most qualified airline pilots don't simply crash into the ground...there is usually a domino effect from multiple minor wrong/bad decisions made along the way), when they have a client in their care, either through poor footwork or ice axe placements, or whatever. As we all know, they live by the old adage, " ...the leader MUST NOT fall. ". So to blame this accident as a freak of circumstance, or plain bad luck, rather than pilot error, of which it appears to be, is wrong. This blames the mountain for a human (avoidable) mistake. Freaks of nature are when 10,000 ton of ice serac decides to submit to the pull of gravity, when you are unlucky enough to be under it (as was the case when 3 guides and a client were killed on 31st Dec 2003 on Mt Tasman, due to a massive avalanche)...shit happens! That's life...!

Supposedly DOC and Mount Cook SAR (Search And Rescue) choppered off all remaining climbers and guides from other climbing parties, lest they were too distressed and emotional to safely descend the mountain...what the....%@$#??? People that climb in these alpine regions, know the risks involved, know that nearly 250 people have died in Mt Cook National Park and should be able to make their own decision about wether to be REMOVED from the mountain, by the powers that be. How come we don't see them clear Mt Everest of all climbers every time there is a fatality...oh, that's right...there is mega money and mega egos involved in it!

NOTE: For all future alpinist planning to climb Aoraki, either via the Linda Glacier route, don't be put off by this accident...although a long, hard day, with almost 1700m of ascent and descent...the route is technically moderate, with the real dangers being the hanging ice cliffs and crevasses of the upper and lower Linda Glacier, not the top of the peak. Start early, go light...and if in any doubt....build an anchor and pitch it! There are steel cable rap anchors/belays in the steeper Summit Rocks area to increase safety and don't be too stingy to leave gear behind for good solid anchors! You won't give a rat's ass what it cost when you reach the hut in one piece!!! And have fun!!!

My deepest thoughts go out to the family of the guide and the client.

Climb safe....climb hard....and make it home for dinner!!!