Avalanche Accidents in Aotearoa - New Zealand
43 Freds Stream, Ben Ohau Range (16 July 1989) (Map 3) Heli skiing; 1 caught, 1 killed
At 12.20 pm on the 16th of July, a guided party of heli-skiers lifted off from Glentanner heli-port for a day of fresh powder skiing in the Ben Ohau Ranges. Light southerly snow had fallen to low levels on the 24th and 25th of June, followed by a seven-day fine spell. This new snow fell onto a layer of melt freeze snow that had been deposited by an earlier westerly storm event. A northwest storm passed through the region on the 4th -5th July (51mm rain in Mt Cook Village), followed by a slow moving low pressure systsem that affected the region for over a week. The weather cleared on the 14th
with 20-30cm of new snow in the Ben Ohau Range (Figure 4.18). The party consisted of a lead guide, a tail guide and four guests. The first run of the day was on a northeast aspect. Snow conditions consisted of 20–25cm of light dry powder snow and the skiing was excellent. The second run was to be on Whispering Silk, a southeastern aspect at the head of Freds Stream. After landing at the dropoff point, (elevation 2275m) the party skied a short distance down the ridge to the top of the run. The snow around the ridge top was wind blown with some
Figure 4.18: Weather Map: 16 July 1989 90