[Harsh weather conditions have slowed the search for two American men and a Canadian climber who went missing after attempting to summit New Zealand’s highest mountain, officials said. Kurt Blair, 56, Carlos Romero, 50, and the Canadian national were reported overdue from their planned ascent of Mount Cook (also known as Aoraki) on Saturday.
The three, who are all experienced climbers, had flown to the area and were planning to summit the 12,218-foot alpine mountain via Zur briggen Ridge. They were reported overdue to meet their flight back out on Monday morning. A helicopter and search and rescue personnel began looking for the three, but were forced to pause due to severe weather conditions on the mountain.
While the search was unable to resume on Tuesday, several climbing-related items believed to belong to the three men were found on Monday. Police are working with the US and Canadian embassies to inform and support the families of the three men, and search and rescue operations are unlikely to resume until Thursday when weather conditions are expected to improve.
Blair and Romero are certified guides in skiing, alpine climbing, and rock climbing with the American Mountain Guides Association. Blair lives in Durango, Colorado, and Romero lives in Livermore, California. Aoraki, or Mount Cook, is a popular destination for hikers and climbers, with a number of walks and activities for all levels of fitness.
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