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Irina Yun - Source: ONE News -
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Bad weather has again stymied the search for tramper Irina Yun, missing in Mt Aspiring National Park near Wanaka since New Year's Eve.
Yun, 36, left Mt Aspiring Hut at 7am on Wednesday to cross the Cascade Saddle and was last seen at 9.30am halfway between the bush line and a spot near the saddle.
She did not arrived at Dart Hut as planned.
Searchers put in a full day's work on Thursday but were kept back at base on Friday as a stormy weather system moved over the region.
With a clearance forecast for Saturday morning search teams went in at first light, but had to wait at the base of the eastern side of the Cascade Saddle as cloud and rain "socked in" the western side.
"Unfortunately the weather hasn't broken as we would have liked and the teams have been stymied by that," Search and Rescue co-ordinator Sergeant Aaron Nicholson said. There was now snow down to the treeline, adding to the difficulties searchers faced, he said and another cold front was expected to hit the area.
Yun was believed to have had little experience of alpine tramping and was only lightly equipped.
Grave fears are now held for her safety.
Wanaka mountain guide Gary Dickson said Yun would be "incredibly lucky" to survive the bad weather.
"Quite honestly, she has been through a fair bit of weather, so she would be incredibly lucky to get through all of that, but we do not give up hope and will do our best," he told The Press.
Yun has a four-year-old daughter.
She is of Uzbeki descent, of medium build with long black hair and was wearing a yellow parka, green trousers and carrying a walking pole.
