The route was underestimated and then also strayed from the path: Thursday evening a 50 to 60 year old Lower Austrian made an emergency call on the Bismarcksteig in the Rax area. It was a lucky coincidence that help arrived so quickly.
Four members of the Mürzzuschlag mountain rescue service happened to be at the Karl-Ludwig-Haus, just over half an hour’s drive away, at around 7:45 p.m., while operations manager Christoph Stritzl reported to the “Krone”. “We have a material depot there and were just replacing our ropes.” Together with the hut owner – a Tyrolean who also has experience with mountain rescues – they set off after the emergency call.
The hiker had come to the Rax from the Lower Austrian side and had not actually planned to hike to the Ludwighaus. However, other mountaineers advised him to do the hike in a hut and only said that it would take two and a half hours.
No climbing experience, no equipment
It was well over six o’clock. The Lower Austrian also lost his way. He did not know what to do with the via ferrata of Bismarck, which is very vulnerable and has the risk of falling rocks. The man had no climbing experience and the equipment was also inadequate. The approaching night made it unpleasantly cold.
“The man behaved exemplarily and waited for us,” says Stritzl. When the uninjured hiker was reached, the rescuers secured him and brought him to the Ludwig House. He was allowed to stay there overnight and started the journey home alone on Friday. If the mountain rescuers had had to leave the valley first, the man would have had to stay on the via ferrata for at least another hour.
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.
