New Zealand police say they believe three men who went missing days ago on Aoraki Mt Cook – the country's tallest mountain – have died.
Americans Kurt Blair (56) and Carlos Romero (50) and an undisclosed Canadian were reported missing on Monday when they failed to meet their flight from the mountain.
Aoraki Area Police Commander Inspector Vicki Walker said on Friday police believe the three men fell while trying to cross the road.
Their search has been hampered by bad weather these days and Ms Walker said this will be resolved.
Helicopters and drones were used to try to track the location of the three climbers, who were due to climb Mt Cook on Saturday.
Ms Walker said drone footage showed evidence of where climbers had started to fall on the lower slopes of Zurbriggen Ridge.
This included footprints and equipment, including clothing and energy gels, thought to belong to men.
Scaling Mt Cook via the Zurbriggen Ridge is a Grade Four climb according to the New Zealand alpine Climb NZ group. This means that it requires “sound mountain judgment and experience”.
Both Blair and Romero were said to be experienced climbers.
A tribute to Blair from the Silverton Avalanche School in the US state of Colorado described him as “a beloved athlete of the San Juan Mountains from a proud lineage of mountaineers”.
“Anyone who has shared the mountains with Kurt knows that his calm demeanor and positive presence are the opposite of the edges and sharp tongue often exhibited by many mountain guides,” read a statement on social media.
His partner told a New Zealand news website that the father-of-two has been traveling the world.
Meanwhile, California-based group SWS Mountain Guides said Romero, known as Kique, was a “beloved guide, teacher and mentor”.
“Kique is highly regarded for his skills as a guide, and enthusiasm for climbing.”
According to Stuff, Romero was originally from Venezuela and worked at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California for several years.
Police said they will not release the Canadian man's name because they respect his family's wishes.
Mt Cook, in the South Island, is 3,724 meters (12,217ft) high and is a popular challenge for climbers from all over the world.
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