Two climbers rescued Two climbers die on New Zealand's highest mountain
Two climbers die in an accident on Aoraki. Despite good conditions, their bodies are only found in the morning. What makes New Zealand's highest mountain, also known as Mount Cook, so dangerous?
25.11.2025, 05:43
25.11.2025, 06:20
dpa
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- Two alpinists have died in an accident on New Zealand's highest mountain.
- Emergency services were alerted late Monday evening (local time) because four climbers on the west side of the approximately 3,700-metre-high Aoraki were in urgent need of help.
- According to the police, two of the climbers were rescued unharmed and taken off the mountain by helicopter during the night.
Two climbers have died in an accident on New Zealand's highest mountain. New Zealand police told the Timaru Herald that the two were connected by a rope when they fell near the summit of Aoraki. Emergency services were alerted late on Monday evening (local time) because four climbers on the west side of the 3700-metre-high Aoraki (also known as Mount Cook) were in urgent need of help. The group consisted of two New Zealanders and two foreigners, reported Radio New Zealand.
According to the police, two of the climbers were rescued unharmed and were brought down from the mountain by helicopter during the night. Despite good conditions on the mountain, there was initially no trace of the other two.
One victim was a well-known mountain guide
Their bodies were finally discovered in the morning and later recovered, according to police spokeswoman Vicki Walker. According to reports, the men had fallen. According to information from the New Zealand portal "Stuff", one of the dead is said to be a well-known and internationally recognized mountain guide.
The portal quoted a local climber as saying that the conditions had recently been "very good", but that the situation on Aoraki could change constantly. The summit ridge is heavily iced over - any slip could have serious consequences.
What makes the mountain so dangerous?
Aoraki, whose summit was first conquered in 1894, is considered by mountaineers to be the most dangerous mountain in New Zealand. It is located in the New Zealand Alps on the South Island. It is notorious for its technically demanding climbing passages and extreme weather changes with avalanches. Numerous people have lost their lives on the way to its majestic summit. Last year, three climbers disappeared there - they have still not been found.
