Tramper died in 'dangerous' range after carrying on journey without wife

A tramper died after carrying on his journey without his wife in Tararua Range, mountains that trampers have in the past warned about underestimating.

Police deployed LandSAR after the man set off his personal locator beacon last Friday near the Neil Forks Hut, about 30 kilometres west of Carterton.

The man, a foreign citizen, had elected to carry on to Maungahuka Hut while his wife stayed behind at Neil Forks Hut.

“It was on that trip that the issues arose,” said Sergeant Tony Matheson​.​

The man was found dead about 7pm, a spokesperson for police said. The death was being referred to the coroner.

It is believed to be the first fatality on the Wairarapa side of the Tararua Range since the death of 49-year-old Darren Myers in 2019.

His body was found at the bottom of a waterfall in "hazardous" terrain in June 2019, not far from his last known location. A coroner found he died after falling and hitting his head.

Matheson said the Tararuas had a “reputation” and there had been several incidences of people suffering misadventure in recent years.

It ranks the third-highest conservation area for Search and Rescue, behind Fiordland and Tongariro National Parks, according to the Mountain Safety Council. There were six fatalities in the decade ending 2019.

Matheson​ said while it would be for the coroner to determine, it appeared the death was related to a medical event as opposed to misadventure.

He said the tramper had tramped the Tararua Range before and was well-equipped and with his wife.

The man was found by helicopter using thermal imaging in dense bush near steep terrain.

Mountain Safety Council chief executive Mike Daisley​ said any death in the mountains was a tragedy.

Being so close to Wellington, Tararua Range is a popular tramping destination with over 150,000 visitors each year. It offered challenging conditions, including changeable weather and strong winds.

Parts of the Tararua are classified as alpine terrain, particularly in winter.

Forethought and planning was key, he said.

“Because of that changeable weather, because of that really steep and unforgiving terrain your plans might not go quite as expected or what you’re used to. In the Tararuas you might need plan A, B and C.”

According to data from the Mountain Safety Council, the most common cause for incidents in Tararua Range is underestimating the time or terrain.

The consequences of which could be trampers being out overnight unexpectedly or going off track in the dark.

Having the right gear was “critical”. Even in the summer months a warm, good raincoat was essential, along with warm clothing and a bit of “treat” food.

Daisley recommend people use the free Plan My Walk platform to both plan their trip, including track information, gear lists, alerts and weather forecasts, and to notify others of their tramping intentions.

Simon Davis has been tramping in the Tararua Range for close to 50 years.

The president of the Tararua Tramping Club, which has been going for over a century, said it was heartening to hear the tramper had carried a beacon but acknowledged there were times helicopters might not be able to get in such as during poor weather.

He agreed there were hidden dangers in the Tararuas, including the impact of poor weather on river crossings and slips making it more hazardous or adding to travel times.

“Those things have the consequence they make your trip much longer and slower.”

For these reasons it was important trampers had the right equipment, especially warm clothing, he said.

“Even in the summer it can be quite different at the top, and you can get cold, can suffer from exposure.”

Davis did not know the tramper who had died but offered his condolences to the family. He said events like this could “come out of the blue”.

“It’s very sad when somebody has been out there doing what they love doing and have had an event like that.”