By Tristram Clayton
The Southern Alps have dealt up yet another tragedy to mountain goers with a second avalanche fatality in just two weeks.
The two incidents have put ski fields around the South Island on high alert.
Dave Wilson, Mt Hutt manager, says staff are constantly monitoring the mountain for dangers.
“It's something we take very seriously; we have guys on everyday monitoring the situation, snow changes and the weather,” he says.
The New Zealand Mountain Safety Council says new snow, frozen rain and warm wind have created an extreme avalanche risk.
The ski patrol at Mt Hutt say they have spotted over 15 naturally occurring avalanches in the ranges behind the ski field in just three days last week.
Ski patrols at many fields are conducting daily avalanche rescue training, but they say the greatest risks lie outside the ski field boundaries.
Dan Kennedy, head of Mt Hutt ski patrol, says backcountry skiers need to take extra precautions.
“If they want to go out back country they need to advise patrol but most importantly they need to have a transceiver, a shovel and a probe and know how to use them and make sure they never travel alone,” he says.
Mr Wilson says most people caught in an avalanche survive the initial impact.
If someone trapped is not rescued within 18 minutes their chances of survival drop to just 10 percent.
Mr Kennedy says if people carry a transceiver and get trapped in an avalanche, they can be located in around three minutes.
The Mountain Safety Council is advising mountain goers not to head out into backcountry terrain in the current conditions.
Skier Earl Romero says people need to be smart about the risks they take.
“You can't go back country and take it lightly, you have to go with a transceiver and other people,” he says.
He says in light of the recent avalanche deaths and weather warnings, he will be staying away from backcountry for a while.
Weather forecasters predict north-westerly winds which means the risk of avalanches in the Southern Alps remains high.
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