3 climbers missing after attempt to scale New Zealand’s tallest mountain

Three mountaineers from the United States and Canada were reported missing on Monday after they did not return from an attempt to summit Mount Cook, New Zealand’s highest mountain, the local police said.

Severe weather conditions were obstructing the search, Report informs via The New York Times.

The two Americans, Kurt Blair, 56, and Carlos Romero, 50, and a Canadian whom officials did not name, did not show up to a charter flight that had been scheduled to return them from the mountain Monday morning, Vicki Walker, the commander of the local police department, said in a statement.

Search teams found several climbing-related items that they believed belonged to the three men, she said. They had to suspend their search because of severe weather and would probably not be able to resume until Thursday, she said.

The three men had flown to a hut on Mount Cook — which is also known by its Māori name, Aoraki — to begin their ascent Saturday afternoon, the police said. At about 12,000 feet, the peak is a popular destination for mountain climbers in the Southern Alps, the icy range in New Zealand’s South Island.

MetService, New Zealand’s national weather authority, did not issue any mountain weather hazard alerts over the weekend for Mount Cook, said David Miller, a meteorologist for the service.

The service issued an alert for gale-force winds on Monday and, on Tuesday, for rain, winds, and wind chill, warning of the risk of hypothermia. Severe gales were also forecast for Wednesday and Thursday.

The American Mountain Guides Association, a nonprofit that represents mountain guides, said that the two Americans were certified guides in skiing, alpine climbing, and rock climbing.