An experienced mountain guide says the area on Mt Aspiring where a Czech climber fell to his death is considered a relatively easy route to climb.
The man, in his mid-20s, fell more than 200m on to the Therma Glacier during a descent of the Northern Buttress on the northwest ridge of the mountain.
The northwest ridge is the most commonly climbed route on the 3033m peak.
Another man, from Australia, was climbing with the Czech man when he fell.
Wanaka Police Search and Rescue was alerted to the fall by satellite phone about 11am after a guided climbing party from Wanaka-based Aspiring Guides met the Australian man on the mountain.
Aspiring Guides senior guide Whitney Thurlow said it was the first time he had heard of an accident happening on the northwest ridge route.
''It's quite a busy place but usually people are on rock there so people don't tend to fall off. People tend to fall off on snow.''
The route was considered easy but was very steep, he said.
Mr Thurlow said he did not think Mt Aspiring had an unusually high accident rate.
''My impression is that it would be pretty normal to have two or three accidents, not necessarily deaths, each year.''
Volunteers from the Wanaka Search and Rescue alpine rescue team found and recovered the man and his climbing partner yesterday afternoon after an operation that lasted more than three hours.
Wanaka Police Search and Rescue co-ordinator Sergeant Aaron Nicholson said the climber's death was a tragedy after the successful rescue of two other fallen climbers last week.
Conditions on the mountain were fine throughout the day, he said.
The pair did not have a locator beacon or other form of emergency communication with them.
They had only just met, both having the intention to climb the mountain, he said.
Police were now trying to contact the man's next of kin. It was believed he lived in the United States.
Sgt Nicholson said the Australian man spoke to police yesterday afternoon and had been offered a place to stay in Wanaka and victim support.
''The very busy start to the summer outdoor season is a sobering reminder of the inherent risks in mountaineering.
''Our thoughts are with the man's family,'' Mr Nicholson said.
