The police searching for the three climbers missing on 3,724m Aoraki/Mt. Cook since last week has given up hope of finding them alive. A drone search yesterday showed pieces of gear and footprints on the mountain but no trace of the climbers. Their families have been informed of the tragic news.
The drones confirmed the suspicions that Kurt Blair, 56, of Colorado and Carlos Romero, 50, of California, plus a third unnamed Canadian, likely took a fall while attempting the Linda Glacier/Zubriggen Ridge route on Aoraki/Mt. Cook, the highest peak in New Zealand. The team flew to the Plateau hut on Saturday and expected to reach the summit the following day. A search-and-rescue operation began after they failed to meet their prearranged transportation on Monday.
Aoraki/Mount Cook lies on the west coast of New Zealand’s Southern Island. Photo: Shutterstock
Search abandoned
The police have told New Zealand media that they aren’t continuing to search at this stage.
“However, we remain poised to reactivate our search if we receive fresh information or credible reports of sightings, especially from the climbing community,” they told 1 News.
Asked about launching an operation to recover the bodies, the police said that option would be “carefully considered.”
Both Blair, from Colorado, and Romero, from California, were professional mountain guides with IFMGA/AMGA accreditation and wide experience in mountains around the world.
Mount Cook is an impressive peak on the west coast of New Zealand’s Southern Island. There is no easy route to its summit, and the climb is exposed to several objective dangers, including rockfall, avalanches, steep sections on hard ice, and abruptly changeable weather.
