A Survivor’s Tale

What were your thoughts when you were trapped in this ordeal?

MS: I knew it was a survival situation as soon as the rain started that night. We hoped it would stop but it didn’t clear for ten days. I actually started to think that we could die there. The crumbling rock faces were slippery because of the rain. Any attempt to climb would have been suicidal. Neither of us owned a cell phone,so there was no way we could call for help. As exhausted as we were,we were afraid that if we fell asleep,we would go into a hypothermic coma and might never wake up.

What helped you survive this?

MS: Realising that no rescuers were coming,Sonja and I decided to take our fate into our own hands. I didn’t want to wait to get caught in another storm. I was so weak and tired,but we were determined that we would definitely climb out,no matter what. There is actually no time or energy for friendly chats about how wonderful our life is going to be in the future because it’s extremely uncomfortable and physically horrible. One is really focused on just shifting positions and eating. Eventually choppers came to our rescue.

Will you go for another adventure?

MS: Yes,I’ve gone tramping since then. I haven’t done as much because I’ve been trying to focus on a career,but I’ll always love the mountains. I am living in Wanaka,a small mountain town in New Zealand and I’m writing and walking the dog a lot.

How should one prepare for such a happening?

MS: One can’t prepare. Every situation is different,but knowledge is important. For instance,in this case we couldn’t give into hypothermia. It was very tempting to go to sleep,but we knew it would kill us. Don’t give up. If you want to go back to the mountains,go back. It’s about doing what you want to do even if it’s hard.

The show will premiere on June 20 at the Discovery channel