Have you ever heard of the Großglockner family? These are the mountain guides, mountain rescuers, hut keepers and everyone who lives around Austria’s highest mountain and helps out when others get into trouble on their local mountain – even if it takes 15 hours…
At 3,798 meters, the Großglockner is not only the highest peak in the Alpine Republic, but also undoubtedly the most famous mountain in the country. Every year, more than 5,000 mountaineers climb from Carinthia or East Tyrol via the Adlersruh, the highest mountain hut in Austria, and the Eisleitl up to the Sattele, further to the Kleinglockner and cross the gorge to experience the most spectacular view in Austria from the Kaiserkreuz .
Accidents in the Alps happen again and again, but the consequences are no longer as tragic as they were twenty years ago. “We often used to take dead people off the mountain,” recalls experienced Kals mountain guide Peter Tembler, who has been in charge of the local mountain rescue service for 15 years.
And Peter is convinced: “The mobile phone has made the mountains safer. In the past, mountain climbers on the Glockner froze to death until they were discovered by chance. Thanks to smartphones, we can now help faster, because we are aware of emergencies sooner.”
Most recently, three Czechs were affected in early January; well-known alpinists, two brothers aged 40 (twins) and a 57-year-old, some even with eight-thousander experience. The trio wanted to climb a new line on the icy Glockner south face, but the men were unable to progress because they lost a crampon.
Chronicle of a life saver
“We had just finished the annual general meeting when we were alerted at 10.42pm,” said Peter. Mountain rescuer Christoph Bacher, also a member of the Kals mountain guides, initially only thought about his wife, who will not be happy at home when he has to go back up the mountain. Especially during storms, snow and icy cold. How could the Czechs climb the south side in such bad weather, which had long been predicted?
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
