Injury on a rock ledge: rescue of a climber under Lomnický Shtít
During the day, a Polish mountain guide contacted the HZS dispatchers while climbing Lomnický štít Birkenmajerovým pilierom. On the difficult terrain, his 31-year-old client injured her shoulder and needed qualified medical attention.
A medical helicopter was called in for the evacuation, which picked up the rescuer from the site in Starom Smokovci and transported him and a doctor to the scene of the incident. The victim was given first aid on the cliff, after which he was lifted onto the aircraft using an onboard winch and transported to the hospital in the city of Poprade.
The mountain rescuer, together with the Polish guide, independently completed the climb to the top of Lomnický štít. From there, the service specialist was picked up by a helicopter Ministerstva vnútra SR and transported back to Starom Smokovci.
Source: Úraz pod Lomnickým štítom
Context
Birkenmajerova hrana leads to the second highest peak of the High Tatras, Lomnický štít (2634 m). The route is named after the Polish climber Wincenty Birkenmajer, who climbed it in 1930. The rock line begins above Lomnické sedlo, branching off from the standard ridge trail with a difficulty category of III–IV on the UIAA scale.
Unlike the classic climb, equipped with artificial chains and crampons, this option goes directly along the open rock edge above the steep Western Wall of the peak. According to the rules of the Tatra National Park (TANAP), there is no marked tourist route to the summit, so independent movement without mountaineering qualifications or the accompaniment of a licensed mountain guide is prohibited there.