At about 1030hrs this morning 17th July 2014 a small group of climbers were climbing on the Pinnacle Ridge, Whakapapa when one of the party took a fall on ice and slid approximately 300 metres in an area known as Grand Gully.
Whakapapa Ski Patrol attended to the 25 year old male climber who received serious head injuries as a result of the fall and he was subsequently airlifted to Waikato Hospital by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.
At the same time a search and rescue was initiated for a female member of the same climbing party who became stuck on the top of the Pinnacles and was unable to continue.
Taupos' Greenlea Rescue Helicopter was utilised to deploy a RARO (Ruapehu Alpine Rescue Organisation) team to the area to extract the 23 year old female. She was retrieved unharmed and without further incident.
The group were well equipped and experienced and weather conditions were fine at the time.
At this stage there is no further information in relation to the injured climber.
Photos are courtesy of Greenlea Rescue Helicopter/RARO.
