Several German climbers got into trouble in the Austrian Alps amid low temperatures, snowfall and difficult conditions. In the Hochkönig massif, mountain rescuers recovered a 20-year-old from the Nuremberg area from the Königsjodler via ferrata after an operation lasting around 14 hours. He was exhausted and hypothermic.
According to the mountain rescue service, the man had entered the route late with two other German climbers despite an explicit warning from another mountaineer and an unfavorable weather forecast. At an emergency exit at an altitude of 2,600 meters, he could not continue and called for help. His companions reportedly continued toward the summit.
Rescuers maintained telephone contact with the stranded climber during their ascent and told him to keep moving to protect himself from the cold, including by doing squats. They eventually reached him after several hours. District mountain rescue leader Gerhard Kremser said that spending another night at that altitude in snowfall and such conditions would probably have been fatal.
A police spokesperson said prosecutors would have to determine whether the actions of the two companions had any criminal implications. Kremser said the incident demonstrated how quickly overconfidence, ignoring warnings and poor route planning could become life-threatening, adding that climbers must also know when to turn back.
A separate rescue operation took place near the Zugspitze. A 17-year-old from Baden-Württemberg and her 21-year-old companion from Bavaria had attempted the Stopselzieher via ferrata from Ehrwald, Austria. They reached about 2,500 meters before deep snow and worsening conditions left them in an alpine emergency. At times, they were sinking into snow up to their knees, and continuing became too dangerous.
The man descended while the teenager called emergency services. She was later rescued without injuries by a police helicopter.
Sources: Süddeutsche Zeitung.