Dramatic mountain rescue on the Großglockner: Alpinists in need!

Dramatic mountain rescue on the Großglockner: Alpinists in need!

On March 8, 2025, a dramatic rescue operation on the Großglockner became necessary. Three alpinist friends, a 34-year-old German and two Austrians aged 22 and 34, set off from Kals to climb the Stüdlgrat. After a strenuous climb of around 3.5 hours, they reached an altitude of 3,300 meters. There they continued their demanding tour with crampons. But the conditions quickly became challenging. During the climb, one of the Austrians damaged his crampons, which significantly restricted his progress.

The difficult conditions meant that the 34-year-old alpinist had to abandon his attempt at an altitude of 3,670 meters. Safe ascent or descent became increasingly impossible and the group was forced to make an emergency call. This was heard by the crew of a police helicopter, who finally brought them to safety using a rope and dropped them off at the Lucknerhaus parking lot. Four men from the Kals mountain rescue team were also involved in this courageous operation, and they reacted quickly to free the mountaineers from their critical situation dolomitenstadt.at reported.

Technical challenges on the Stüdlgrat

Climbing the Stüdlgrat is considered a demanding mountain tour that requires experience and comprehensive preparation. Access to the Stüdlhütte, from where the tour starts, is highly valued by alpinists because of its beautiful views and challenging passages. This is emphasized by the different paths and the necessary technical equipment, such as crampons. The Stüdlgrat leads over steep rocks and glaciers, which makes the need for precise planning even more important for every alpinist mountaineering.com describes. This incident is a stark reminder of how quickly conditions can change in the mountains and safety should always be a priority.