Bikers rescued from Tongariro Forest

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 600, 22 August 1995, Page 5

Bikers rescued from Tongariro Forest

Four mountain bikers lost in Tongariro Forest near Tongariro National Park had a lucky escape when they were rescued Saturday night last week. Local search and rescue teams and Turangi Police, who were involved in the rescue, said that the mountain bikers had gone into the area with insufficient clothing, equipment and information. The Department of Conservation had previously widely published that the main mountain biking route through Tongariro Forest, known as the 42 Traverse, was closed due to several major slips and washouts. Alternative routes in the area were also difficult to negotiate. The riders, who admitted to having been completely lost, used a cell-phone to raise the alarm and had been able to contact the Turangi Police. Rescuers used four wheel drive vehicles to search for the riders. They were found on Kapoors Road, part of the closed route. When found, two of the four riders were suffering from

hypothermia. Had they not been found, rescuers doubted they would have survived the extremely cold overnight conditions. Terry Slee, senior conservation officer, said the incident highlighted the dangers of ill-equipped and poorly prepared people riding in the area. "You cannot treat any of the rides within Tongariro Forest as you would ride in an urban area," he said. "People needed to carry warm waterproof clothing, a repair kit and should at least know where they were going". The riders were fortunate to have had a cell phone with them. However, DoC staff warned that cell phones could not always be relied upon to instigate a rescue as there were numerous backcountry areas where that would not work. DoC staff at Turangi and Whakapapa were available to advise on suitable mountain biking routes in the area and an updated report on track conditions was issued each Tuesday.