Mountaineers mourn guide Troy Forsyth killed in avalanche

Mountaineers are remembering an experienced guide who died in an avalanche on Mount Dixon as deeply talented and respected in his field.Troy Forsyth was an avalanche snow safety officer and ski patroller at the Remarkables Ski Area in Queenstown.The 28-year-old was caught in an avalanche while skiing with three other experienced ski mountaineers near the mountain's summit in the Aoraki Mount Cook National Park on Sunday.New Zealand Mountain Guides Association spokesperson Will Rowntree said his friend was on a recreational trip when he died."Troy was a deeply talented and respected practitioner within his field. He will be dearly missed by his family, friends and colleagues," he said.Mountain Safety Council chief executive Mike Daisley said Forsyth was also an avalanche educator."The alpine community is a close-knit one and Troy's passing will be deeply felt by all those who knew him and shared his passion for the mountains," he said.It was a sobering reminder of the risks of skiing and mountaineering in New Zealand, he said."Ski mountaineering takes place in a complex and constantly changing environment. Avalanches are one of the hazards that can have devastating consequences, even for those with extensive experience and specialist knowledge," Daisley said."Experience, training and careful decision-making are fundamental to managing alpine risk, but they cannot eliminate it entirely."With steep alpine faces, glaciated terrain, changeable conditions and high elevation, the council said Mount Dixon presented significant challenges.Forsyth's death follows one avalanche fatality in 2024 and two in 2025, according to Mountain Safety Council records.