Southern Alps rescue: Two climbers plucked to safety at 3000m

7 Dec, 2023 

Two climbers have been rescued from high in the Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park this morning.

The pair got into difficulty overnight on Malte Brun, the highest peak in the Malte Brun Range on the Southern Alps.

They activated a personal locator beacon at an altitude of 3000m, prompting a swift response from the Rescue Co-ordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ).

An RCCNZ spokesperson said: “Following the beacon activation at 6.15am, Maritime NZ’s Rescue Coordination Centre contacted the Department of Conservation Aoraki/Mt Cook Alpine Cliff Rescue (ACR) team, who flew to the location by Southern Lakes Helicopters.”

“Responders described the location of the two climbers as steep and technically difficult.

“The helicopter used a long-line rescue method first to land the ACR team next to the climbers and then recover them off the mountain back to a nearby staging area before they were airlifted back to the rescue base at Mt Cook village.”

The two climbers were cold but uninjured.

“If planning adventures at this time of the year, please consider the conditions, forecast and risks. Just because it is summer, doesn’t mean the weather will be stable,” the spokesperson said.