At 10:11am on Friday morning, Alpine Rescue Canterbury was contacted by RCC to respond to a emergency beacon activation on tops of the Arthur Range, Kahurangi National Park. A tramper had fallen down steep terrain from the ridge line. They had sustained multiple fractures and internal lacerations. Due to the remote location, traumatic injuries, and …
At 11:19 am on Friday July 18th, ARC received notification that a PLB had been activated on the northeastern aspect of Mt Cupola in Nelson Lakes National Park. Two team members responded quickly, presenting at the GCH hanger where equipment for a possible technical winter alpine rescue was prepared for departure in the Westpac AIRMED …
At 1:13 PM on Saturday, 1st March, our team was notified of a PLB activation on the north side of Mt Rolleston. Initial aerial reconnaissance by the Greymouth Rescue Helicopter located two young climbers approximately 300 meters up a cliff face adjacent to the Otira Face. The climbers were roped together, approximately 30 meters apart; …
Sunday afternoon at 1545 our team was tasked by Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) to a rescue on Otira Slide, just below the summit of Mt Rolleston Low Peak. Operation Summary One member of a party of four climbers was hit by rockfall, causing them to fall down the mountain, suffering severe head trauma and other …
Continue reading "Mt Rolleston Otira Slide Rescue – 18 February 2024"
On Sunday 30 July, our team rescued an injured skier off the side of Castle Hill Peak. Two ARC team members winched down to the skier and two snowboarders who had come to his aid. All of the party were able to be winched off the slopes and the skier received the medical care he …
June 18th 2023 Alpine Rescue Canterbury (ARC) was tasked at 0815 hours by Rescue Coordination Centre NZ (RCC) to assist with the rescue of a man stuck on Mt Aicken in Arthur's Pass. Earlier that morning, as the man neared the summit of Mt Aicken (1863m), a slurry of mud and rock had spontaneously released, …
At 2:05 am on December 15th 2022, two mountain scramblers activated the SOS function on their inReach device. The day prior, they had been traversing the classic Philistine - Rolleston ridgeline. They lost 3 hours on Mt Rolleston middle peak freeing a stuck abseil rope and were then caught out in wet weather. They sheltered …
Continue reading "Summer Rescue on Mount Rolleston – 17 December 2022"
Three trampers called for help late on Sunday 23rd October, stuck near Lyell Peak and Avalanche Peak in Arthur's Pass. The trampers were uninjured, but out of their depth. Garden City Helicopters (GCH) attempted 7 times to access the stranded party at 2300hrs late on Sunday night but were unable to reach the party due …
On Saturday 13 August, a climber experienced equipment difficulties while climbing Rome Ridge on Mt Rolleston. The front baskets of both crampons had failed, and one crampon was lost. The climber was able to call for assistance, and was advised to wait for a rescue rather than risk down climbing with only one broken crampon. …
Continue reading "Winter Rescue on Kaimatau/Mt Rolleston – 16 August 2022"
On Saturday evening of July 31st 2022, our team received a call out for a missing skier last seen Saturday afternoon at Craigieburn Valley ski field. Ski patrol set out to search in the night in blizzard conditions until early hours without success. The team was hampered by increasing avalanche danger due to large amounts …
Continue reading "Lost Skier in Craigieburn Ranges – 3 August 2022"
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