Experienced climber dies on Ruapehu ice

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 14, Issue 687, 20 May 1997, Page 3

Experienced climber dies on Ruapehu ice

Another fatality on Mt Ruapehu has prompted the Department of Conservation to again warn people tramping and climbing in. Tongariro National Park to take extreme care and not be lulled into a false sense of security by fine weather. A 51-year-old Tauranga climber, Malcolm Bruce MacGregor, is dead and his 54-year-old companion, Mr MacGregor' s brother-in-law from Toronto, is safe following a climbing accident on Mt Ruapehu on Saturday. The man died when he slipped more than 300 metres from below the crater rim. The pair had planned to traverse from Turoa to Whakapapa. The accident happened at approximately 9.30 am on Saturday, on the Mangaturuturu Glacier. His climbing partner spent the rest of the day

edging his way over ice and snow to the safety of the Mangaturuturu shelter above Turoa ski area, about 400 metres from where his companion lay. Police were allerted on Saturday night at about 6pm when they failed to reach Whakapapa and a search for the climbers began early Sunday morning. The Tranz Rail Rescue Helicopter and members of the Ruapehu Alpine Rescue Organisation found the surviving climber at the shelter at about 1 1am Sunday. He was shaken, but otherwise unharmed. The deceased man was found at about 12 noon. Both climbers were well-equipped with ice axes and crampons and the deceased man was an experienced climber.