Stuck in the dark on the slopes Zugspitze - night operation of Austrian rescuers
On Saturday evening, mountain rescuers from the Tyrolean town of Ehrwald went to the aid of three climbers who were trapped on a rock route Stopselzieher. The hikers were trying to climb to the top Zugspitze, but were unable to move further due to deep snow and exhaustion.
The rescue team climbed the slope in the dark through snowdrifts, after which a helicopter was involved in the operation, which lifted one of the group members on board. According to the head of the local rescue service Robin Lutnig, the climbers were young, poorly planned their exit and did not turn back in time, which is becoming a regular problem in this area.
The incident occurred just a week after a 17-year-old girl was rescued on the same trail at an altitude of about 2,500 meters after being abandoned by her companion during snowfall and minus twelve degrees Celsius. Experts are urging tourists to be critical of advice from social media influencers and to carefully prepare for the difficult conditions of winter mountains.
Source: Wieder Bergsteiger von Zugspitze gerettet: „Nicht von Influencern verleiten lassen“ - DiePresse.com
Context
The rock route Stopselzieher is considered the easiest via ferrata, leading to the highest mountain Deutschlands Zugspitze at 2,962 meters, and serves as virtually the only accessible route to the summit from the Austrian side in winter.