Team Had No Warning Of Avalanche

Press, Issue 31095, 25 June 1966, Page 1

Team Had No Warning Of Avalanche

(From Our Own Reporter)

ARTHUR’S PASS, June 24.

The avalanche that buried the eight-man high-altitude team on the Otira slide of Mount Rolleston at 9 o’clock last evening was a “local one, about 400 ft above the camp,” said Mr N. D. Hardie, the leader of the team.

The eight men in the team were Peter Squires and lan Gardiner, in one tent; Roy Yates, Nick von Tunzleman and Hans Bohny, in the second tent; and Norman Hardie, John Harrison and John Wilson in the third tent.

“I was asleep. There was no warning, just a sudden, terrific pressure,” Mr Hardie said when being interviewed by newspaper, radio and television reporters at Arthur’s Pass township early this afternoon. The wiry engineer was standing barefooted outside the alpine museum. i “We were under 10ft of snow—we measured it afterwards. I thought we were gone. I was sure of it we would be suffocated. I have never experienced anything comparable and I have been short of oxygen at high altitude. Torch On

“We were in a 7ft by 4ft tent-ridge about 3ft 6in. I was on my back, head towards the avalanche. I tried to get my arm across, and punched a hole in the tent. 1 found my torch and switched it on. It was still on when they dug us out.

“I thought it might guide anyone digging for us. I never felt John Harrison and never heard him. I think he was suffocated at the start. John Wilson and I were unconscious for quite a while, I am sure of that. I never knew any-

thing until I was half-way out, being pulled by my legs. I can’t say what I felt when I was pulled out It was dark.

“John Harrison was one of New Zealand’s finest mountaineers and my best friend.”

One Sheltered

Mr Hardie said the tent Peter Squires and lan Gardiner were in was sheltered slightly by provisions, equipment and radios in a stack. The two were also sleeping with heads away from the direction of the avalanche. “Their tent was buried under six feet of snow. They were first out,” he said. “It would not have been long, I think about 10 minutes. They dug their way up. There was five feet of fresh snow on top of ice. It was snowing until midnight

“Peter and lan dug out Roy, Nick and Hans. Their tent was under eight feet of snow. Hans was the only one with his boots on. Some of us had only underpants on. Hans had all. his clothes on.

“Hans Bohny was terrific. He had the push to urge the young ones on; to make them dig to get us out straight away and not look for their boots or pants.

Cut Hole

“Hans found Nick’s glasses when they were buried under the snow. He broke the glasses, and cut a hole in the tent.” Mr Hardie said that he and the others, except Mr Bohny, sat in sleeping bags after everyone was pulled out.

“The tents were buried you couldn’t even see the {radio aerial at daybreak. 'Hans stamped round all night ;and dug for things for us [when it stopped snowing at midnight. “Peter and lan found their boots early on and set off about 11 p.m. to walk out. They got to the road about 3.30 a.m. Shortly after first light, when we had warmed up a bit, we dug for things. It took me hours to find my glasses. Nick had no glasses and couldn’t navigate very well on the walk out.”

They could not tell which direction the helicopter was. coming from, the noise rever-■ berated so much from the mountains when they were walking out Mr Hardie said. “We were very happy to see Hans Bohny when he ari rived at the camp in the after-

noon. He is a fine mountaineer and an expert climber. Geoff Harrow pulled out because Hans was fresh to replace him,” Mr Hardie said. Not In Winter

Mr Hardie said he had climbed the Otira face many times, but he would never attempt to climb it in winter. “There are several good climbs on the face. When I am asked to show overseas mountaineers round, it is my favourite place for a climb in [the summer.” He said it was apparent, because of the lateness of the hour when the four missing climbers were seen two-thirds up the face, that they had bitten off more than they could chew.