Tararua Range, Wellington, New Zealand

Home

/

Survivor Stories

/

Tararua Range, Wellington, New Zealand

Tararua Range, Wellington, New Zealand
Lives saved

1

Hiking

Hiking

Mountain

Mountain

Weather

Weather

Snow

Snow

Thunder storm

Thunder storm

Hiking

Tararua Range, Wellington, New Zealand

-40.7666667°S, 175.3833333°E

Posted on January 27, 2021 by Simon Ratner

What happened?

I was tramping the Te Araroa Trail in New Zealand. I had hiked in 2 days from the Levin road end and the forecast was rain but clearing to sun. I left Nichol’s Hut that Tuesday morning aiming to get over Junction Knob and to Mid Waiohine Hut, the weather was dense mist and light winds. When i was 2 hours in and at Mt. Crawford on a bit of a knife ridge (1462m) the wind started blowing strong enough that i couldn’t stay upright, then it started to snow. I made the decision to turn back to Nichol’s Hut to wait out the weather.

 I had another 2 nights at the hut waiting for the weather to get better, then on Thursday, i attempted to make it to a Dracophyllum Hut, The wind picked up again and i realized i was stuck and running out of food and didn’t know how long the weather would last for. I set of the beacon at 10am Thursday morning and waited. That day it dropped below freezing and the mist was thick and wind blowing about 100km/hr. At 9:30am on the Friday, a SAR helicopter made it in and picked me up before the weather turned again and brought me safely back home. I had very mild Hypothermia but was otherwise fine.

Words of wisdom

Be prepared, carry thermals and a PLB. 

Thank you note

Thank you for the assist, I’ve only been carrying a beacon for the last 3 years at my family’s insistence. Now I plan on carrying an ACR PLB permanently.

Rescue location

Tararua Range, Wellington, New Zealand

Rescue team

Local Search and Rescue

ResQLink™ 400

Go to product details

$369.95

Small but resilient, the ResQLink 400 has been professionally engineered and tested to ensure it can withstand even the harshest elements. This buoyant Personal Locator Beacon requires no subscription for use and can be utilized to enhance your safety in a wide variety of environments. Whether on land, at sea, or in the air, trust that the ResQLink’s satellite precision and military durability, put rescue in the palm of your hands.

 

Features and Benefits:

  • No Subscription Required
  • GPS and Galileo GNSS
  • Built-In Buoyancy
  • Strobe and Infrared Strobe
  • Global Coverage
  • MEOSAR Compatible
  • Small and lightweight
  • 5-year battery life
  • 24+ hours Operational Life**
  • Multi-function Clip System Included
**Based on test report from an accredited laboratory   WARNING: PROP 65   
Find a dealer

ResQLink™ 400 saves lives

Survivor Stories

A Young Adventurer's Humbling Lesson: The Unexpected Value of Preparedness

As we ascended, things got snowy, and we realized we were in over our heads. Blind optimism turned into a realization that we were on steep snowy slopes above bluffs.

Read Full Story

Sister's First Hike Turns Harrowing: A Rescue Story Unfolds in the Wild

Suddenly, my sister stumbled, injuring her thigh. Assuming it was minor, we pressed on, only for her to fall again, this time hitting her head. She lost consciousness briefly, followed by bouts of nausea and vomiting.

Read Full Story