Three mountain climbers from the United States and Canada, Kurt Blair and Carlos Romero from the US and an unnamed Canadian national, are missing after failing to return from their planned summit of New Zealand’s tallest mountain, Aoraki. The Americans are certified alpine guides listed on the American Mountain Guides Association website. They arrived at a hut partway up Aoraki on Saturday and were supposed to ascend the 12,218-foot mountain but did not show up for their morning flight out the next day. The search for them began on Monday and has been put on hold due to severe weather conditions on the mountain, with plans to resume on Thursday. The climbers’ families are being informed and supported by the U.S. and Canadian embassies.
Aoraki, also known as Mount Cook, is part of the Southern Alps mountain range in New Zealand and is a popular destination for advanced climbers. However, the terrain is challenging, and more than 240 deaths have been recorded on the mountain and surrounding national park since the start of the 20th century. The search efforts are ongoing, with hopes of locating the missing climbers soon.
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