Guide cancels climbs because of global warming

GOTTFRIED BRAUN-ELWERT

DANGEROUS: mountain guide Gottfried Braun-Elwert says the ascent of Mount Cook has become too risky since global warming opened many crevasses.

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A leading mountain guide is blaming global warming for his decision to suspend guiding on Mount Cook.

Gottlieb Braun-Elwert, owner of Alpine Recreation, climbed New Zealand's highest peak last Friday.

He said heavy crevassing on the Linda Glacier – the route that most climbers use – had made the route unacceptably dangerous.

"It's definitely global warming – there's no doubt about that," he said.

"As a result of a very hot summer and then a marginal snowfall this winter, the middle part of the Linda Glacier is badly broken up, forcing the ascent route right underneath the ice cliffs of Mount Silberhorn, exposing climbers to an unacceptably high level of risk."

Braun-Elwert said there had recently been a metre of fresh snow but it had failed to resolve the crevasse problems, prompting him to suspend guiding on Mount Cook until spring storms dump more snow and make conditions safer.

The decision is the second time in two years Alpine Recreation has suspended guiding on the Linda Glacier, but this is far earlier than on the last occasion. Warm temperatures and lean snow conditions in January 2006 prompted it to stop using the route.

Braun-Elwert said although the Linda Glacier and the Hooker Glacier on the other side of the mountain were unusually badly affected by crevasses, most of the other main peaks in the area were in excellent condition.

"I've already informed my clients that are coming in the summer that unless conditions improve considerably, we won't be guiding on Aoraki-Mount Cook," he said. "I'll probably take them up Mount Tasman or Mount Silberhorn."

Alpine Guides proprietor Bryan Carter said the firm did not have any ascents booked for the Linda Glacier route before mid-November and he was confident the spring storms would resolve the crevasse problems by then.

"The snow base is certainly pretty light at the moment, but we might get a spring where we get 5m to 7m of snow. If we get fine weather right through spring and into summer, then the Linda Glacier would break up a bit earlier," he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News