Search follows bike mishap

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 482, 20 April 1993, Page 9

Search follows bike mishap

A series of accidents led to a search for five mountain bikers in Tongariro Forest last week. The group, a 46-year old man and four teenage boys went into the forest around mid-day on 13 April. The group was reasonably well equipped but the series of mishaps almost heralded a cold and dangerous night in

the bush. "Late in the afternoon the father fell off his bike and hurt his hip", said Whakapapa Conservation Officer John Allen. "One of the teenagers then fell and cut his jaw. The group lost their compass and became disoriented. Finally one of the bikes broke and by this time it was dark." The group finally de-

cided to light a fire and sheltered under a survival blanket carried by the older man. "They would have survived the night," Mr Allen said "but one of the boys needed stitches and it would have been very cold." The track through the Tongariro Forest known as Dominion Road, is often called the best mountain biking track in the country. DoC officials say the Tongariro Forest offers a brilliant mountain biking opportunity which is becoming more and more popular as an extended wilderness mountain bike ride, but with that is the increase in incidents of injury and overdue parties. Field Centre Manager at Whakapapa Russell Montgomery, said users need to be aware of the area, especially in terms of the difficulty of terrain they encounter and problems concerning navigation. Although DoC does not want to discourage visitors from enjoying areas like Tongariro Forest, staff stress the need for people to be well prepared and plan their activities carefully. "It's very costly for both the Police and the Department of Conservation to carry out searches," Mr Montgomery said. "This

incident highlights what can go wrong. Anyone going into the forest