Mountaineer who survived eight days stranded in Arthur's Pass missing again

A mountaineer who was at the centre of a major search operation in Canterbury is missing again.

Marni Sheppeard was reported missing in January after she was last heard from in Christchurch at 5.20am on November 19.

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The avid mountaineer had previously survived eight days of being stranded on an exposed ridge in Arthur’s Pass National Park in 2003.

The 53-year-old is now missing again and is thought to be in a similar area.

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Police believed she was in the Darfield area later on November 19, and may have been heading into the mountains.

When she was reported missing in 2003, Sheppeard, who has a PhD holder in theoretical physics, had planned a three-day tramp with her fellow physics student, Sonja Rendell.

Their trip resulted in seven extra nights on a rocky mountain side in bleak weather conditions.

Her extensive experience and mountain knowledge saved the pair’s lives through rain, sleet, and snow.

She was also trained for alpine operations after working as part of the search and rescue team in Wanaka, where she lived for several years.

Sheppeard has spent recent years homeless and living in poverty.

She was staying in the City Mission's shelter in 2019 to continue her research, after living on the streets in Auckland.

Sheppeard is described as being around 162cm and of slim build, and was last seen wearing a black T-shirt and a green Macpac backpack.

Police are continuing their search, and anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to call 105, quoting file number 210115/4277.