The action made people shake their heads: a group of German students with their teachers and other supervisors were stranded in the Tyrolean mountains, which are still partly in winter, instead of in the swimming paradise of Jesolo on the Upper Adriatic. The planned crossing of the Alps with bicycles went completely wrong: on Saturday morning, the mountain rescue team brought the bicycles to the valley.
The eleven students, two teachers and five supervisors who wanted to cycle over the Heiligen Geistjöchl (2,658 metres) to South Tyrol on Thursday, but had to be rescued by the Libelle Tirol police helicopter and the Mayrhofen mountain rescue service, had left their bicycles behind at the Jöchl.
Helicopter transportation is far too expensive
That’s why the Mayrhofen mountain rescuers started an unusual mission early on Saturday morning: the bikes had to get back to the valley somehow! And because the group of students had long since returned home to Bavaria and a rescue operation with a helicopter would have been many times more expensive, the two-wheelers were picked up on foot.
Rocky terrain and snow fields
At 6:00 a.m., 14 rescuers climbed 800 meters from the Zillergründl to the Heiligen Geistjöchl in foggy and therefore uncomfortable conditions. From there, they carried or pushed the heavy mountain bikes over boulders, numerous steep snowfields and down the path to the Hohenaualm at the end of the Zillergründl reservoir.
One and two mountain rescuers had to carry or transport two mountain bikes. The rescue services then brought the bikes by car from the mountain pasture to Mayrhofen. The operation took six hours in total.
Invoices for mountain rescue, also costs for helicopter?
In any case, the campaign will be expensive. The mountain rescue service will charge around 4,000 euros, as BR Mayrhofen operations manager Andreas Eder explained to the “Krone” on Saturday. It is not yet known whether the group will also have to pay for the helicopter rescue (gross negligence?). If this happens, there is a risk of a high bill.
Final stop in the Alps instead of sun, beach, sea
From Furth in Lower Bavaria we were supposed to cycle over the Alps in Tyrol to Italy to the Lido of Jesolo. The group of students had already set off from their hometown on Tuesday for this trip.
But instead of crossing the Alps, the final stop was in the Alps! Unlike the destination Jesolo, winter conditions still prevail in some parts of the Tyrolean mountains. “Because of the snow conditions above 2,000 meters above sea level – in some cases there is still half a meter of frozen snow – they had to carry their bikes. And because the conditions at the highest point and on the south side of the mountain were no better, the group leader cancelled the tour and made an emergency call.”
The 18 exhausted people were eventually rescued unharmed by the police helicopter crew and dropped off at the Sulzenalm, where they were picked up by the Mayrhofen mountain rescue service and escorted safely down to the valley. On Friday we took the bus back to Bavaria.
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.
