Maindonald was carrying an ice axe and crampons and wearing boots to dig steps into the ground. The conditions were clear at 3pm and the sun was about to disappear behind the mountain. “I told them that they shouldn’t be on the mountain dressed as they were in the conditions.”
Lindsay Maindonald/Supplied
The tourists walked passed warning signs alerting climbers to be prepared for the alpine conditions. Maindonald told the couple two men had died the week before not far from where they had been. “I told them they were crazy to be up here.” The couple replied thatthey knew about the tragedy and were terrified, but had decided to take the risk, Maindonald said.
As rescue crews worked to remove the bodies of two Christchurch climbers from Taranaki Maunga at sunrise last Thursday, karanga, karakia and waiata rang out.
First rāhui on Taranaki Maunga lifted nine days after death of climbers stuff.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from stuff.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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image captionBritons Peter Kirkwood and Richard Phillips were both experienced climbers
Tributes have been paid to a new father who died while climbing a mountain in New Zealand.
Peter Kirkwood, 33, and fellow Brit Richard Phillips, 46, died while climbing Taranaki Maunga earlier this month.
Dr Kirkwood, a Cambridge graduate, was born and raised in Cardiff before moving abroad.
His family said: He was a loyal and adventurous soul, who will be dearly missed.
Dr Kirkwood was a keen mountaineer, who met his wife-to-be, Kerrie Ann at the University of Cambridge Hillwalking Club, while completing a PhD in geotechnical engineering.
Welshman who had just become a dad dies on mountain trek Adventurous soul and scientist Dr Peter Kirkwood, 33, was trekking with a colleague on an 8,200ft mountain in New Zealand when both men tragically died
Dr Peter Kirkwood, from Cyncoed in Cardiff, had recently become a father (Image: Wales News Service)
A new dad with an “adventurous soul” was killed with a colleague while trekking on an mountain in New Zealand.
Geologist Dr Peter Kirkwood, 33, had travelled to the 8,200ft mountain for research with colleague Richard Phillips.
The alarm was raised when one of the climbers made an emergency call to say the other had fallen. Both were found dead the next day.