An emotional Miss Clark described the death of Mr Braun-Elwert in the South Canterbury back country on Thursday as a couple of "beautiful" days skiing, that turned suddenly to tragedy.
Mr Braun-Elwert's death shocked the Tekapo community where, with his wife Anne, they operated their business, Alpine Recreation Ltd, after establishing it more than 25 years ago.
Miss Clark, her husband Peter Davis and niece Rosie Hardacre, and MPs David Parker and Damien O'Connor were being guided by Mr Braun-Elwert on what was to be a four-day skiing holiday when the incident happened.
Miss Clark, speaking at a press conference at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Tekapo, said the experience was "very harrowing" as her party spent two and a half hours trying to resuscitate Mr Braun-Elwert.
They had spent the day skiing and had made it to the Rex Simpson hut in the Mackenzie Country's Two Thumb Range.
"We got to the hut door and two people went inside the hut and Gottlieb came back out of the hut and collapsed on the snow," she said.
"It's just a terrible thing to see one of your old friends pass away.
"It was very harrowing, but everybody rose to the occasion and we just threw everything we could at trying to help and trying to get support in."
Mr Braun-Elwert, who was believed to have had a heart attack, was ill last week but was well enough to "get up a mountain" - although he was moving more slowly than usual, she said.
An emergency call was made in the late afternoon on Thursday but difficult weather conditions turned back two helicopters.
Rescuers reached the hut by snowmobile on Thursday night, bringing out the Prime Minister and Mr O'Connor.
A policeman and mountain guide stayed with the rest of the party.
Mid South Canterbury area commander Dave Gaskin said it was a 30-minute trip on the ski mobile to waiting vehicles.
Rescuers had to wait until the weather cleared about 9am yesterday to send in a helicopter to pick up the rest of the party.
Prof Davis and his niece arrived back at Tekapo Airport on a TV1-hired helicopter about 10am and were followed sometime later by Mr Parker and the body of Mr Braun-Elwert.
Miss Clark said Mr Braun-Elwert was an "incredible force" among climbers and set high standards.
She described him as a strong, wise man who had fostered her interest in ski touring.
His wife Anne, supported by daughters Carla and Elke, said at the conference Miss Clark had done 13 trips, mostly cross-country skiing, with her husband.
While they did not know the cause of death, she could not believe the circumstances.
"It's completely out of the blue.
"He was such a fit, strong man. It's the last thing I thought would take him."
The Prime Minister's group did a "fantastic job" doing everything they could for him, she said.
His daughters said he had instilled an awareness of how precious the environment was. They hoped to carry on his work and continue with his Alpine Recreation company.
Senior Constable Brent Swanson, of Tekapo, said Mr Braun-Elwert's death was a shock.
"He was a very experienced guide, nationally and internationally," he said.
