Cold climber feared for his life
BY ESTHER TAUNTON
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A South Korean tourist thought he could die after taking on Mt Taranaki dressed only in shorts and a T-shirt yesterday.
Kewon Kim, 25, made it to the summit and while he got back to the visitor centre at North Egmont in one piece, admitted he had bitten off a bit more than he could easily chew.
"It was so cold up there, I thought I could die," Mr Kim said.
Warming up at the visitor centre, Mr Kim said he had learned a valuable lesson on his four-hour climb to the summit.
"There are a lot of risks. It was very beautiful but it can be risky," he said.
"It was a good experience and I would go again but with proper equipment and warmer clothes."
The mountain's easy access makes it attractive to inexperienced climbers, but the 2518m peak and surrounding terrain is the most deadly in New Zealand with 80 deaths since 1891, when records began.
Department of Conservation staff said the majority of climbers on Mt Taranaki were international visitors and Mr Kim was one of many on the mountain yesterday. Others signed into the intentions book at the visitor centre were from Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Greece and Canada.
The Department of Conservation's acting area manager Dave Rogers said the risks for climbers on Mt Taranaki were not reduced in summer and international visitors often had little knowledge of the dangers.
"There will always be an element of visitors who don't have any idea what to expect," Mr Rogers said.
"They don't think about the fact that they're heading to a different altitude where weather conditions can change very quickly."
Mt Taranaki could experience four seasons in one day all year round and people needed to be aware of that, he said.
"Even in summer there can still be snow on the slopes and the weather can change from a summer situation very quickly.
"Our advice to everyone heading to the mountain is to exercise caution, no matter what the conditions."
Advice about the weather and what to expect on the mountain was not difficult to get hold off, Mr Rogers said.
"People can ring through the Department of Conservation or district councils.
"Accommodation providers and locals who use the mountain can also have knowledge to pass on."
- © Fairfax NZ News
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