New Details Emerge About the Großglockner Tragedy

The public has been intensely captivated by the case of a woman who froze to death over the weekend on Austria’s highest peak.

https://www.reddit.com/r/alpinism/s/RFuNd6nOmi

Oddly enough, the least important detail of the incident seems to be the one sparking the most speculation and debate among the uninformed masses. This involves an event where only a few details are known, and most of those discussing it lack the necessary background knowledge of the sport. The detail in question is that the police have opened an investigation against the climber’s partner on suspicion of negligent manslaughter.

It is important to emphasize that: 1. The police routinely open investigations into mountain accidents involving fatalities. 2. The victim’s climbing partner has not been charged. The investigation is a standard procedure to assess possible responsibility, and it may conclude that there was no negligence. 3. Therefore, it is entirely unnecessary to analyze or argue about whether the man is guilty, as no one is claiming he is.

Given the enormous public interest, the media is naturally pursuing more details. Everyone wants to understand what happened and why. While the latter question remains unanswered (and may never be fully explained), new information has come to light that makes some speculation unnecessary. Of course, these updates will likely lead to new, unfounded conjectures. Here are the latest details:

They Did Not Request Help at Night, and the Helicopter Left

At 8:15 PM on Saturday, external observers reported to the police that they could see headlamp lights in the upper regions of the Glockner, which they found unusual. The report was verified using webcam footage, and officers were dispatched to the parking lot. They identified the climbing pair and made “countless” attempts to call them, but they did not pick up (possibly due to the howling wind drowning out the sound). Around 10:15 PM, a police helicopter flew out and approached the pair. It illuminated them with a spotlight. However, as there were no signs of distress and the climbers did not respond, continuing their ascent, the helicopter left without intervening.

Many people cannot understand why the man had to climb all the way down to Adlersruhe to call for help (reportedly using his own phone). Toni Riepler, a member of the Kals mountain rescue team, told the press that there is cell service at the summit of the Glockner, but this does not necessarily mean a phone can be used in such extreme conditions:

“In theory, there is coverage at the top, but it’s difficult when the wind is so brutal – hurricane-force winds and extreme cold undoubtedly made the situation extraordinary for them,” Riepler said. “The phone could have malfunctioned, there could have been technical issues. Perhaps their frozen fingers made it impossible to operate the phone properly. We don’t know, and this needs to be investigated,” Riepler told ORF.

“The body, especially the brain, doesn’t function normally in extreme cold and under stress. It is crucial not to jump to conclusions but to wait for the investigation to conclude,” added the rescuer.

The Man is an Experienced Alpinist

The Kronen Zeitung uncovered that the 36-year-old man is a seasoned alpinist with numerous challenging alpine and mixed climbs under his belt. He has summited 40 peaks over 4,000 meters and uses Großglockner as his training ground. He has crossed the mountain solo, climbed the Pallavicini Couloir, the Aschenbrenner route, and the Mayrlramp on the north face. He is well-acquainted with the Stüdlgrat route and has previously guided several female climbing partners on it, based on his social media posts, some of whom were first-timers on the mountain.

Still, more questions remain than answers.

Sources: ORF, Kronen Zeitung