The Nurses Tragedy

It was freezing cold before the Taranaki Nurses Alpine Tramping club even began their climb of Mt Taranaki. But then it was mid winter - July 1953.
While not exactly inexperienced, a winter climb is not something for the faint of heart.
There were 31 in the group, 18 nurses, nine members of the Taranaki Alpine Club and four visitors and they had planned a day trip, up and back.
With them was Keith Russell, the club's most experienced guide.
They set off from Tahurangi Hut late, it was 11.30am before the climb started. There was snow down to 660m.
Russell had organised the group in six rope parties. Everyone was well dressed for the cold.
The ascent went well, with the inexperienced learning how to use the rope and how to stop themselves sliding.
At the top it was even colder. But it was late and the group opted to skip lunch and begin down.
As they began, the wind picked up.
Down at the hut, those waiting were worried, it was later than they liked Three club members decided to go up to meet them.
They found the parts of the group cold, hungry, fatigued, their hands so frozen they were barely able to hold the ropes.
One of the groups on one rope got into trouble, falling and one of the club members tried to stop it, getting in the way deliberately to try and stop the slide.
On and on they fell until a club member managed to use an ice axe to stop them, only metres from a steep bluff.
By now it was dark. As another group tried to descend further, one of the women fell. One by one, those on her rope, and Russell went over the 30ft bluff.
One of the other guides got to the hut and the call went out for help.
By the time help arrived, two had died and five were seriously injured.
The rest of the climb group made it to the hut but needed to be treated for exhaustion, exposure and frostbite.
It took hours to get the survivors down and one of the injured who had been recovered, died during the wait.
In the dark and now snowing, people were slowly taken to safety.
Those who died were Keith Russell, Andrew Lornie, Ruth Caldwell, Janet Cameron, Julie Casells and Ellen McBeth, who had broken her leg and survived the trip down the mountain but died the next day in hospital.
It’s recorded as New Zealand’s deadliest alpine disaster.
Ellen McBeth is buried in Te Henui Cemetery.
Photo by Sulthan Auliya.​