NZ soldiers in Afghanistan snowed in

New Zealand soldiers facing wintry conditions in Bamiyan province, Afghanistan.

Conditions have made driving over mountain passes difficult.

As well as heavy snow, soldiers have had to deal with knee-deep mud.

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Thick snow and freezing conditions are making life difficult for New Zealand soldiers working in Afghanistan's Bamyan Province.

The New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) are having to deal with constant sub-zero temperatures which a Defence Force statement says makes vehicle movement difficult.

Rainfall has arrived which makes the snow thaw, bringing its own set of challenges to travelling through the mountain passes.

Rivers are rising and avalanches becoming more common, making many of the high passes impassable.

"We came back from a patrol last week and bellied out in the knee-deep mud," Royal New Zealand Air Force Warrant Officer Norb Thaler said.

"Our vehicle had a broken windscreen wiper and it didn't take long for the windscreen to be covered in mud. 

"We got around that by throwing bottles of water over the windscreen from the driver and passenger windows while on the move. 

"Then as we got near the top of the pass we got into heavy snow flurries and near white-out conditions. 

"We turned on the lights but couldn't see much - not even the vehicle in front of us."

The PRT are a separate group to the New Zealand Special Air Services soldiers operating in the Afghan capital Kabul.

- © Fairfax NZ News