Mountain Climber Survives "Miraculous" 600m (1,968ft) Fall
Image source: newzealand.com
A mountain climber has “miraculously” survived a 600m (1,968ft) fall from near the summit of New Zealand’s Mount Taranaki with only minor injuries. The fall is equivalent to almost twice the height of the Shard in London, and it is believed that the reason there was no fatality was due to the spring weather melting the ice into snow.
Mount Taranaki is a dormant volcano and one of the deadliest mountains in New Zealand, which stands at 2,518m (8,261ft) tall. It is somewhat isolated from the other mountains on the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island, and its location can produce some of the fastest changing weather conditions found in the country. This can result in things going extremely wrong for climbers, especially if they are inexperienced or not properly equipped.
The climber was found by another member of his team and a member of the Taranaki Alpine Rescue who was also on the mountain that day. He was found a quarter of the way down the mountain with only minor injuries and his ice axe and crampons missing. He was re-kitted by the pair before being helped down the mountain to rejoin the rest of his team as they descended.
This “miraculous” fall is not the usual story on Mount Taranaki, with 2 climbers falling from the same location to their deaths in 2021.
