Czech Tramper Spends Month Alone In New Zealand Backcountry Hut After Boyfriend’s Fatal Fall

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Mountain Journey
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Czech Woman Spends Four Weeks At Remote Lake Mackenzie Hut On Routeburn Track In New Zealand Backcountry During Winter After Boyfriend’s Tragic Death

Routeburn Track, Fiordland, New Zealand – On July 26, 2016 Pavlina Pizova and her partner Ondrej Petr set off to hike the 32km (20mi) Routeburn Track in Fiordland National Park on the South Island of New Zealand.

By Steffen Sledz (Zone42) (Photo taken by Steffen Sledz) [<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>], <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AMackenzieHut.jpg">via Wikimedia Commons</a>
Lake Mackenzie Hut | By Steffen Sledz (Zone42) (Photo taken by Steffen Sledz) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
During their trek, Petr, 27, suffered a fatal fall into a ravine. Pizova descended to help him and tried to rescue him, but was unsuccessful. Pizova spent the next two nights alone outside in backcountry winter conditions. She suffered frostbite, hypothermia, and other minor injuries.

Pizova managed to located the Department of Conservation’s Lake Mackenzie Hut. Due to her physical health, snow conditions, and avalanche prone slopes, she decided to hunker down and wait for help. During her hour-week stay she survived on food, firewood, and gas left behind by DOC wardens.

Pizova attempted to make snowshoes, crampons, and walking sticks, but did not make it far. She was unable to operate the radio in the hut because she could not understand the English directions. She left signals in the snow to indicate she needed help. But no one showed up to rescue her for an entire month.

Petr and Pizova had not told anyone of where they were going. Nobody checks the huts during the winter season. Finally on Wednesday August 24, 2016 the Czech consulate raised the alarm and notified New Zealand authorities. Their car was located near the Routeburn Track and Pizova was soon found at the Lake Mackenzie Hut.

Pavlina Pizova was taken to the hospital. Search and rescue teams located Petr’s body on Friday. The two had been in New Zealand on working holiday visas.

According to the DOC, the Routeburn Track is “the ultimate alpine adventure, weaving through meadows, reflective tarns and alpine gardens. You’ll be rewarded with spectacular vistas over vast mountain ranges and valleys.” See a winter tramping map of the Routeburn Track with avalanche paths and hut locations here.

Read more about Pavlina Pizova, the Czech Tramper Who Survived An Entire Month In The New Zealand Backcountry Hut, from these sources: