Czech woman speaks of "harrowing" month lost in New Zealand wilderness

A Czech woman who was found alive after four weeks missing in the New Zealand wilderness gave details of her ordeal Friday as searchers recovered the body of her partner.

Pavlina Pizova issued a statement on her "harrowing" month -- most of it in an unoccupied Department of Conservation warden's hut -- after her partner, Ondrej Petr, 27, fell to his death during the extreme conditions of the southern winter.

Petr's body was found near the mountainous 32-kilometer Routeburn Track in the far south of the South Island.

"After his death it took me another two nights out in the open before I reached the safety of the hut," Pizova said.

"The recent heavy snows meant I was walking through waist-deep snow and because all track markers were covered, I had to find my own way," she said.

"During this time I got extremely cold, exhausted, and my feet were frozen."

Given the state of her health, the deep snow and the avalanche risks, she decided the hut was the safest place to stay.

"I made a few attempts to walk out from the hut, but my feet, the weather conditions and the deep snow discouraged me from doing so," she said.

"At the hut I saw numerous avalanches coming down."

Pizova admitted she and her partner had "made a few mistakes" before setting out in the wilderness, including failing to tell anyone of their intentions, failing to carry a locator beacon and underestimating the winter conditions.

"I would like to use this opportunity to pass a strong message on to anyone intending to travel in the New Zealand mountains to seek very good information and mainly respect the winter conditions and quickly changing weather," said Pizova.

The two Czech tourists had set out to hike the Routeburn Track on July 24 and her partner fell down a steep slope on July 28.

She managed to reach him, but he died soon after.

She was discovered by searchers in a helicopter on Wednesday. Endit