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Learnings From a Ridgeline Rescue

12th April 2026|4 min

An overnight tramp in Victoria Forest Park on the West Coast in May 2024 ended in a dramatic night-time rescue for Gale, her companion and their two dogs. As temperatures plummeted, they were forced to pitch a tent precariously on a ridgeline. Gale shared her story with NZ Mountain Safety Council so others can learn from her experience.

Keen for an overnight adventure close to home, Gale came up with a plan for an overnight tramp via the Klondyke Spur Track to picturesque alpine tarns where she would camp.

Before embarking on the trip, Gale did her research, talking to others who had done the route, reading blogs, finding out about track conditions and walking times.

The track is graded expert and involves climbing above the bushline, along a steep ridge and into the upper basin to the tarns. A fit and experienced tramper, Gale estimated it would take her about 3-4 hours to where she would camp for the night.

For the trip, Gale was joined by one other person and their dog. They’d hiked together once before as part of a group, but otherwise didn’t know each other.  While Gale shared all the information she had about the route, they never discussed each other’s tramping skills and experience, or any limitations or concerns they had.

The pair set off from Rahu Saddle car park around 10 am, giving them about 8 hours of daylight to reach their campsite.

“I thought we’d allowed plenty of time, and we were both well-prepared for an overnight tramp,” says Gale.

They each had a tent, sleeping mat, and sleeping bag as well as safety equipment between them, including a personal locator beacon.

The weather conditions for the trip were close to perfect, especially for the West Coast, with clear blue skies and little to no wind as they followed the orange track markers through the forest.

“I could tell my pace was quicker than my companion’s, so I made sure to repeatedly check in and ask if they were okay to continue.”

Reaching the bushline was a key decision-making point where they needed to assess if there was enough daylight left to safely reach their destination.

“We discussed our options. I asked whether they wanted to continue on or turn back, and we decided to continue on. The dogs were still enjoying themselves, although I had to help one over the occasional boulder and rocks.”

About 30 minutes’ away from their planned campsite, Gale’s companion stopped, unable to continue. Their blood sugar levels were low, and Gale learnt for the first time that they were diabetic.

They needed to decide if they would continue, pitch a tent or turn back.

“In my mind, I believed we had to reach the campsite as there was nowhere suitable to pitch a tent where we were. Walking back through the beech forest in the dark would be dangerous, as it had been confusing even in daylight, and we would be getting pretty tired,” says Gale. “At that point, I didn’t believe we were in immediate danger and neither of us were injured.”

Two hours passed.

“I watched the sun disappear behind the mountains and realised we might soon be in serious trouble, but my companion didn’t feel well enough to move,” says Gale.

Gale changed into dry clothes. Frost began forming and the ground started to freeze. They agreed to pitch a tent.

“I managed to pitch a tent but it was near dark and extremely difficult on the steep terrain, and the pegs were under significant strain.”

By this time, Gale was becoming increasingly concerned.

“I didn’t know how severe the situation could become,” she says. “I was really worried about hypothermia, as the ground was starting to freeze.”

At around 6:30 pm, Gale decided she needed to take decisive action and activated her personal locator beacon (PLB).

“Two hours later, I received the best message of my life from the Rescue Coordination Centre, saying that help was on the way and asking how many people were in our group. I couldn’t reply, but they must have got the information from my partner and a friend registered on my PLB.”

By this time, the ground was completely frozen.

“I stood outside the tent with my torch on and waved my dog’s LED collar in the air, hoping someone would spot us. The dogs could sense the stress, but my main concern was looking after my companion.”

A Greymouth rescue helicopter arrived, and eventually the party, including the two dogs, were winched to safety.

“I finally broke down when I was in the helicopter,” says Gale. “It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my chest. I kept apologising to the rescue team, but they reassured me that I had done the right thing and that we were in a very dangerous situation.”

Gale’s companion was flown to Greymouth Hospital suffering from exhaustion and distress but, thankfully, no injuries.

The trip had a good result, but it could have had a different outcome. The experience highlights a number of safety essentials.

Gale’s Key Safety Learnings

  • Know each other’s limits: When tramping with others, especially in small groups, it’s vital to understand everyone’s experience, fitness and comfort with the trip, and any pre-existing health or medical concerns.
  • Have an honest conversation: If you are struggling at any time during the trip, speak up. It’s far safer to change your plans sooner rather than later.
  • Stay calm under pressure: Experience isn’t just about time outdoors – it’s about good decision-making in difficult and unexpected situations.
  • Allow more time than expected: Track times are estimates, not guarantees. Heavy packs, terrain and fatigue can significantly slow progress.
  • Stay warm: Hypothermia is a serious risk in the outdoors. Go prepared with extra warm layers, a waterproof jacket, a warm hat and gloves all year-round, an emergency shelter and extra food. If you become stranded, change out of damp gear and into warm, dry clothing as soon as possible, take shelter and have something to eat and drink.
  • Take a reliable communication device: You can’t always rely on having cellphone coverage, so carry an emergency communication device, such as a personal locator beacon (PLB) or satellite messenger device like an inReach. 
  • Familiarise yourself with your equipment: Practice using any new equipment before you go so it’s easy to use when you need it.
  • Be prepared to change your plans: Before heading out, agree on set decision-making points where you’ll assess the conditions and how everyone is feeling, and decide the best course of action. Sometimes, turning back is the safest option.
  • Know when to call for help: When you believe you’re in danger, call for help before the situation becomes an emergency.
  • Leave trip intentions: Detailed plans left with trusted contacts help rescuers respond quickly if there’s an emergency.

Many thanks to Gale for generously sharing her story so others can learn from her experience.

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