Livermore Climber One Of 3 Missing On New Zealand Mountain: Reports

LIVERMORE, CA — A Livermore mountain climber and guide is one of three people missing on New Zealand’s highest mountain in "extreme weather" conditions, according to reports.

Carlos “Kique” Romero, a 50-year-old Livermore resident and former Lawrence Livermore National Lab employee who is now a tour guide with SWS Mountain Guides, was reported missing on Mt. Cook, also known as Aoraki. New Zealand police said in a Wednesday news release that Romero, Kurt Blair from Colorado, and an unnamed Canadian climber were declared missing after they did not arrive for a scheduled flight on Monday following their climb.

Police said that while they remain “hopeful” of being able to resume searching for the three missing men once the weather clears, “police hold grave concerns for the three men.” Aoraki, part of New Zealand’s Southern Alps, is 12,218 feet high, and full of glaciers, crevasses, avalanche risk, and extreme weather.

The Silverton Avalanche School said in a Monday Facebook post that they received word from New Zealand authorities that the climbers appear to have taken a fatal fall from the peak.

“Gear and equipment found from the party has helped SAR piece together the tragedy, although remote, technical and heavily glaciated terrain coupled with deteriorating weather has prevented a recovery of the climbers,” they said.

Since the early 20th century, more than 240 deaths have been recorded on the mountain and its surrounding park, according to several news reports.

Romero is an experienced climber, according to his biography from SWS Mountains, based near Mt. Shasta. The Venezuelan native grew up climbing 4,000-meter peaks, and scaled summits all over the Andes. After studying in Switzerland and UC Berkeley, he worked for 15 years as a program manager at LLNL, while also leading 15 climbing expeditions to South America. He is now the technical director of SWS and holds numerous climbing certifications.

"With great sadness, we share that Carlos (Kique) Romero is among three climbers reported missing on New Zealand's Mount Cook (Aoraki)," SWS Mountain Guides said in a Facebook post Tuesday.

"Kique, a beloved guide, educator, and mentor, was with two other climbers when their group encountered severe conditions. Search teams have faced challenges due to extreme weather, and the situation remains grim. Kique is widely respected for his skills as a guide, and enthusiasm for climbing. He is an integral part of our company here at SWS Mountain Guides. Our hearts are with their families, friends, and the climbing community as we await further updates. We continue to hope for clarity and hold Kique close in our thoughts."